


Guileless

by quietpastelcolours



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, I wanted to go in a different direction with Zelda in regards to her personality this time, Poor Girl, There will be graphic violence, also smut, and a baby, of course, shit will go down eventually, the King REALLY dislikes his daughter and palms her off to Ganondorf, they marry, this is pretty much a parental abuse situation going on, uhhh, zero confidence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-28 09:26:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 96,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6323899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quietpastelcolours/pseuds/quietpastelcolours
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ganondorf Dragmire, King of the Gerudo, is invited to Hyrule Castle for negations of peace. He arrives expecting Princess Zelda to be the stuck up, worldly, infuriating princess she always is... but he was wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Sight

**Author's Note:**

> Credit must go to gerudoshikyapril.tumblr.com, whose Gerudo language lets me give Ganondorf his native tongue :D

Golden eyes appraised the large and imposing doors to the castle with more than a hint of caution – King Harkinian might have extended an invitation, but Ganondorf Dragmire was nothing if not wary of Hyrule’s motives. The King had explained away his motives by saying he had something very important to discuss – one that could only be brought up in person.

The missive had caused considerable consternation amongst the Gerudo – was it a trap, or was the Hylian King sincere? If it was to be a declaration of war, then having him arrested the moment he stepped foot in Hyrule was a relatively smart plan; but all agreed – if Ganondorf went, he wouldn’t be alone, and anyway, Hyrule knew of his formidable powers and skill. If it came down to a fight, Hyrule would certainly come away with heavy losses, if they won at all. Or, perhaps there was no war, and they simply wished to end the threat of the Gerudo King before it became one – but again, Hyrule castle was a strange place to attack.

He and a troop of thirty Gerudo warriors had spent the entire journey from the desert on high alert, with multiple sentries at all times, ensuring that they would not be caught by surprise in the event of an ambush, but now they had arrived at the castle with no ambush to be seen. Now, it was time for the test.

He signalled his warriors to wait in the antechamber – what a strange sight that was, thirty dusty battle hardened women standing awkwardly amongst the polished, immaculate and intricate marble rooms, Hylian nobles eyeing them suspiciously as they went about their business. Ganondorf then walked into the room the footman leading him had called the throne room. He spent the walk in silence, his magic close and ready should this truly prove to be an ambush, but nothing further happened besides two more liveried footmen springing to attention and pulling open the doors. There were roughly fifteen people in the throne room, and he ran his eye over most of them. There was a being who was obviously the King – a short, greying man seated on his throne, and a scattering of older men in long robes, who eyed him quizzically as he passed. The last person in the room, and the one that drew his eye, was a strikingly attractive blonde girl who stood to the King’s left.

Princess Zelda.

Zelda furrowed her brow lightly, then became conscious of it and worked to smooth out her expression, arranging her features into what she hoped was a becoming smile. The massive man who’d just entered the throne room was staring directly at her, ignoring everyone else in favour of meeting her gaze, including, she noted, her father, who did not look impressed.

“Princess.” The desert warlord’s voice was deep and curiously accented, and Zelda flicked a slightly panicked glance at her father; why was he addressing her first? Was he mad? “We meet again.”

Zelda managed to get her words to work, seeing the suspicious look on the advisors faces, not to mention her fathers. “Indeed, though not in this lifetime, I should think.”

The huge dark man inclined his head slightly. “Technicalities. You meet one Zelda, you’ve met them all. Now.” His gaze found her father. “I’d like to know why you’ve asked me here.”

Her father nodded, still looking faintly insulted. “I should imagine you would. However, now is not the time. I wish to discuss with you topics of vital importance to both our Kingdoms – yet I find myself rather busy today. You and – I assume you brought a measure of your own people with you? – will be our honoured guests, and we will meet in the morning.”  
  
A sliver of suspicion flitted through his golden eyes, and he frowned, a bare downturn of the lips, but he nodded slowly. “Very well.” The desert man shifted his weight, and her gaze was drawn to his form.

Ganondorf Dragmire fascinated her, she found. It wasn’t just that he was one of the most inherently yet unconsciously masculine men she’d ever seen – ironic, considering his was a tribe of women – though that was certainly part of it. This was the bearer of Power – the very man her ancestors, the previous Zelda’s, had been in battle with for countless centuries. Peace held for now, but it was shaky, and she could feel tension pulling at the stitches of the treaty that held their people together. As she watched, his gaze slowly met hers, and for a long moment they simply stared at each other. Unfortunately, her father noticed.

“Is there a reason you stare at my daughter?” He asked, irritation in his tone. The desert King’s gaze found that of the Hylians’, and Zelda wondered that he did not comment on her fathers lack of decorum – he hadn’t once addressed Ganondorf by his title, though come to think of it, the Gerudo had not even bowed – perhaps her father was justified in his uncivil actions.

“Indeed there is.” Said Ganondorf quietly, and Zelda blinked in astonishment. “You see, I’ve not seen Wisdom in some hundred years at least. You cannot blame me for being… curious.” 

“Hmph.” He father sounded unimpressed. “I know your history with the ancestors of my daughter – I hope you won’t be insulted if I tell you to stay away from her.”

Ganondorf raised a mocking brow. “Not offended at all-” He purred, and Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. “-provided she can stay away from me.”

Heat rushed into her cheeks, and she was acutely conscious of being the recipient of many curious stares, the most piercing of all belonging to the golden gaze of the Gerudo King.

“And what do you mean by that?” Demanded her father. “I hope you are not implying my daughter will be gallivanting about like a common whore.”

Zelda blushed harder, staring at her toes, missing the way Ganondorf’s gaze touched her form once more.

“No.” Said the Demon King quietly. “I only meant that Wisdom and Courage have a habit of sticking their noses in where they don’t belong. I hoped to caution Wisdom against getting any silly ideas into her head, like too many of her ancestors before her.”

“Ah.” Said her father, easing back on his throne slightly. “Zelda, leave us.”

 Ganondorf watched with raised brow as the princess curtsied and immediately turned to leave. Why was she being so… shy and retiring? It was quite strange. She’d barely said a word, much less been in control of the conversation. She was beautiful, that much was obvious, but… she wasn’t as straightforward as the other Zelda’s he’d met. He wondered why her father seemed so eager to call her a whore before all and sundry – but seeing the flash of distaste in Harkinian’s eyes when he’d glanced at his lovely daughter, he could tell that there was some element he didn’t know – something he intended to uncover.

 His gaze fell to Zelda’s hips, moving beneath her constricting gown, and decided that maybe there was something to be said for Hylian fashion after all. Harkinian cleared his throat, and Ganondorf turned his attention back to the pallid King seated on his throne.

“I think we are done for today.” Said the Hylian dismissively. “You and your… people, will be shown to your rooms, and you’ll be sent for tomorrow.”

Ganondorf raised a brow but inclined his head – he was rather curious to see what the King wanted to speak with him about, and so ignored the slight in favour of spinning on his heel and striding out the door. 

Meanwhile, Zelda was making her way to the gardens, needing some space to think about what had just occurred. Ganondorf had greeted her and threatened her practically in the same breath – and done it subtly too. All she’d ever been told about the Gerudo King was that he was a brute, a violent savage too barbaric to have any higher thought. However… she’d seen the intelligence gleaming in his golden eyes; Zelda just knew that Ganondorf was not a man to be underestimated.

It was very… _interesting_ , how he very clearly had expected her to lead the conversation, not her father. Zelda concluded that her past lives had all been in charge and had spoken their minds free of consequence; she felt a twinge of regret she couldn’t do the same.

 


	2. Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The longer Ganondorf spends in Hyrule, the more he realises something is not quite right.

Zelda kept her chin up, her gaze steady and her smile serene as she trailed her father through the Great Hall. He was locked in conversation with one of his advisors, a man named Alozo, and was ignoring her, as per usual. 

The Great Hall was filled with people like normal, people seeking audience with the King, servants going about their duty, nobles and aristocrats milling about looking important, and still more were here in order to get a glimpse of the Gerudo King and his people. They’d been in Hyrule for three days, and it appeared they were no less interesting now then when they’d arrived. Not that Zelda had had much to do with any of them.

The Gerudo – the women, that is – none of them spoke Hylian, apart from one who appeared to speak a very broken version of it, and so roamed the castle quite in their own little worlds, for unless their King was there, nothing could be communicated between the two races. Of course, Zelda rather suspected that some things were understood perfectly well, only the Gerudo enjoyed the free rein they had by being deliberately obtuse too much to pay any attention to the Hylians at all.

The Demon King, on the other hand… Zelda had spoken to him once since their first meeting when he’d arrived, when they’d run into one another in a corridor. He’d been polite enough, if rather cool and distant, and Zelda had spoken with him exactly as long as civility required before she could make her escape. Now though, she understood that the King of the Gerudo was meeting with her father in his conference room, and while it had not been explained why she was also expected to attend, apparently she was.

Alozo was just signalling the footman to swing open the door for her father when abruptly all conversation ceased, then resumed tenfold. Both Zelda and Harkinian turned curiously around, only to be confronted with the sight of a distinctly unimpressed and sopping wet Demon King striding towards them. 

Zelda faded back to stand unobtrusively behind her father as he strode forwards. 

“But what on earth has happened, King Ganondorf?” He cried.

Ganondorf glared, wiping excess water from his face and flinging it to the floor.

“Fountain fairies.” He spat, and Zelda struggled to conceal her grin. Fountain fairies – in the gardens, there was one particular fountain that was home to a nest of fairies, the inhabitants of which thought it a great joke to enchant the flow of water when some unfortunate walked by, soaking them from head to foot. Ganondorf, however, had apparently been lucky enough to avoid a complete dousing – his damp vest clung to his chest and dribbled water onto the floor, but his trousers and boots had but a few spots of water on them.

Harkinian shook his head regretfully. “I’m told that no matter how often those pests are removed, they keep coming back again. I’m terribly sorry, King Ganondorf – shall we postpone our meeting until later?”

To everyone’s surprise, the Gerudo King shook his head. “Why bother? We’re here now.” A wry yet twisted smile covered his features. “A little water won’t kill me.”

 _Some would say ‘more’s the pity’_ , Zelda thought to herself with a grin.

She watched with some curiosity as the large desert man beckoned a nearby footman.

“You! Come here.”

The abruptly nervous footman approached, and then Ganondorf shrugged out of his vest, revealing his naked chest, and Zelda’s jaw dropped. 

Ganondorf smirked to himself at all the whispered reactions he could hear as he dumped his wet vest into the waiting hands of the footman, who bowed and scurried off, then turned to the scandalised looking Harkinian. He’d been pissed off and rightly so when he’d been soaked, but now, with this chance to raise some Hylian eyebrows, he was rather enjoying it.

“Won’t you want to get changed?” Asked the Hylian King, and he shook his head. 

“Why bother? It’s a fine day, and besides-” He snuck a look at some nearby awestruck noble women. “- this is more than we wear in the desert.”

He was only wearing trousers now. Let them imagine _that_.

Harkinian moved then, revealing his daughter, who until that moment had been standing at an angle that obscured her face. Ganondorf smirked broadly when he took in her flushed cheeks, wide eyes and parted lips – she very clearly liked what she saw, even if it was likely she didn’t have half a clue of that herself.

“Shall we?” He said, striding towards the door to Harkinian’s conference room.

“Er – of course.”

Harkinian scurried in first, followed by Zelda blushing harder than ever, and then Ganondorf took up the rear, conscious of the many eyes glued to his broad back as the doors closed behind him.

“Do have a seat, Majesty.” Said Harkinian, who’d recovered his composure. Zelda remained silent, and Ganondorf noted with a very great deal of amusement that her gaze was decidedly lower than his eyes. The conference table was very long, able to seat more than thirty occupants, but now held only three. Harkinian sat on one side, so Ganondorf sat immediately opposite him, and then once they were both seated, Zelda sat herself quietly to her father’s right. The sole other occupant of the room was one of Harkinian’s advisors, who had parked himself on a chair in the corner.

Ganondorf leaned back in his chair, pleased that Harkinian had had the foresight to have a chair large enough to hold him installed in the room, and eyeballed the Hylian King.

“So.” He began comfortably. “What’s this about?”

Harkinian leaned forwards. “The peace treaty. I feel we ought to begin at least discussing what we each hope to achieve.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Of course. Let us begin with your proposal.”

Harkinian put his hand to a sheaf of papers in front of him. “Here is something I had drawn up a little earlier. Hyrule’s… principle concern is, I’m afraid to say, the thieving and the destruction of Hylian property, and I hope we can come to some agreement.”

Ganondorf’s brows shot into his hair, and then his teeth lifted off his lips.

Zelda blinked worriedly at the scowl that crossed the Desert King’s features then. Clearly, papa had gone too far. 

“What Papa means is that he hopes we can compromise, your Majesty.” She interjected hurriedly, forgetting herself entirely as Harkinian’s head whipped round and he glared at her.

Ganondorf’s brow, however, cleared slightly. “A compromise? Explain yourself, Princess.”

Zelda swallowed hard. This was a nice hole she’d just dug herself into. Papa was clearly furious at her having opened her mouth, but she couldn’t exactly ignore Ganondorf… she paused to shoot as apologetic a look as she could muster at her father before composing herself to answer the Demon King. 

“I am afraid Papa’s words might have come across as sounding a little like an accusation-”

 “They did.” Ganondorf said curtly, sounding distinctly unimpressed.

Zelda swallowed again and continued. “But what was meant is that Hyrule, is, at present, unaware of the motives at hand. If the thieving and the raids were committed for…” She waved a gloved hand as airily as she could, trying to come up with the right word “…amusement, it would be a wholly different matter, but if there is genuine need behind it, then Papa’s words are valid – perhaps we can come to some agreement.”

She ended her speech and sank back in her chair, almost afraid to see her father’s reaction. In any case, she was proud of herself for managing it at all in the presence of the first bare male chest she’d ever seen. _And what a chest!_ She thought to herself, her gaze absently slipping from his intense golden eyes down to his sculpted musculature. His dark skin was still faintly shiny and damp, thick red curls matted to his chest, but the most eye catching thing was – her cheeks burned to even acknowledge it. Much like a woman pierced her ears, Ganondorf’s nipples were too, decorated with small metal hoops that looked to be gold, hung with three small beads, two smaller ones on either side of a larger one that appeared to have something, some small image, carved into it. The whole effect was eye-catching and almost mesmerising, and Zelda was having a hard time concentrating before it all.

The very impressive muscles of his arms corded and flexed as he unfolded them and leaned on the table, drawing her gaze again, and then Zelda forced herself to meet his gaze – and something in those golden depths told her he was fully aware of her awe for his physique.

“My daughter is right.” Her father said reluctantly. “I meant no offense, and if my hasty words came across as such then I heartily apologise, King Ganondorf.”

Ganondorf nodded absentmindedly at Harkinian, too busy thinking about the princess’s words. Abruptly, he leaned forwards, planting an elbow on the table and pointing at her.

“You’re not your usual self." 

Zelda looked up from her hands, her expression startled, and she looked to her father for help.

“I hardly think this is a necessary topic-” Harkinian began, but Ganondorf held up a hand to stop him, gaze still locked on a now deeply uncomfortable Zelda.

“You are not at all how I expected you to be.” He said, raising a brow at her. “Why?”

Zelda looked faintly panicked and turned to her father again, who looked angry.

“Zelda, leave us.”

The princess immediately shot to her feet and curtsied deeply, her face flushed and uncertain, before she made for the door. Ganondorf stared at her retreating back, feeling quite bewildered at this turn of events. Why was Zelda so content to sit back and let herself be trampled over? Why, he knew past princesses that would have sooner shoved their crowns up someone's nose then let them forget about their status.

As Zelda reached the door, he watched her look over her shoulder at him. As he met her gaze, he recognised a want in her, a desire to speak, but then as she glanced at her father, regret swept over her features, and then the door shut behind her.

“Let us deal with this now, your Majesty.” Said Harkinian slimily, and Ganondorf, though displeased, nodded. Zelda had left the room, and so he wouldn’t get his answers yet. She obviously knew what she was doing, as evidenced by her earlier words, brief as they had been... she was clearly intelligent - as Wisdom, she would be, of course. He furrowed his brow as he tried again to come up with some reason why her father seemed to eager to disregard her, but no matter. Not yet, anyway. Ganondorf had decided that now he would seek her out. Once way or another, he'd find out, he'd get his answers.

He’d bide his time.


	3. To Hunt a Maiden Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf is attending a hunt hosted by King Harkinian, but their prey turns from stag... to princess.

Ganondorf shifted slightly in his saddle, grinning at the way his stallion so completely dwarfed the horses of the nobles nearest to him. King Harkinian rode a little ahead, that greasy little man who was his closest advisor riding next to him. Harkinian had invited him on a hunting trip, and as Ganondorf had not been able to come with any decent excuse to refuse, he was stuck here, riding amongst a group of petty nobles. The one thing he was sure of was that it was not a trap; there were a contingency of guards along with them, true, but the King was here, along with a good deal of the wealthiest, highest ranking nobles of the Hylian Court. The Hylians knew of his ability in battle – Ganondorf highly doubted they’d risk their nobles like this. No, it must be what they said it was – a hunt.

There was a rustle in the nearby shrubbery, and all conversation ceased as the men turned to track the deer through the trees. It was slight, slim and delicate, yet still managed to be majestic – the parallels to be drawn between this woodland creature and Princess Zelda made him smirk. He doubted she’d like the comparison much. Ganondorf’s smirk faded a little. Or maybe she wouldn’t mind – this Zelda did not seem quite so haughty as some of the other Zelda’s. From the little he’d seen of her in the week he’d been at Hyrule Castle (and Harkinian _still_ wouldn’t tell him why he wanted him here. Ganondorf could tell it wasn’t just about the peace treaty), she was quiet, reserved – and thoroughly trampled over by her father. It confused, irritated and intrigued him; but they were here for the hunt.

Ganondorf put Zelda out of his mind as one of the guards blew a long, low note on the horn he carried, and then several of the dogs Harkinian had brought with him were sent forth, followed by the horsemen. He gripped his reins tightly as his stallion surged through the woods, following the deer as it crashed through the trees, its panic unmistakable. He felt a sense of confusion then derision – these idiots did not know how to hunt. Why prolong the fear the animal felt? Why even let it run in the first place? It was tiresome and time consuming, and it would only take longer to fill your quota for the day. Not to mention, the risk of the animal escaping was increased significantly.

He and the group of nobles thundered through the trees, and then one of them, who was evidently proficient in the use of a crossbow, though he didn’t really look it, raised the weapon to his shoulder. The deer – a stag – stumbled to its knees and screamed as the bolt hit it in the shoulder. The men surrounding him slowed and congratulated him on his successful hit while Ganondorf stared, expecting someone to go and finish the stag off. Instead, the badly injured creature staggered to its feet, surrounding by madly barking dogs, and the Gerudo King sighed in disgust as the stag tried to escape. Raising a hand that pulsed dark magic, he snapped the creature’s neck. The barking of the dogs rose of new heights, and the gleeful conversation stopped as the nobles turned to stare at him.

“What did you do that for?” Asked one young man in violet tights indignantly, until he remembered himself. “Your Majesty.”

Ganondorf motioned at the deer. “It was injured.”

“It could still run.”

He raised a brow. “And what would be the point of that? Such exertion and fear ruins the meat. Why was it necessary to scare it into a chase in the first place?”

The nobles all stared at him.

“My dear King Ganondorf…” Began Harkinian warmly. Ganondorf frowned inside at the man’s method of address. “You seem to be under some sort of misapprehension about what we are doing here.”

Ganondorf frowned a little harder. “Then perhaps you’d be so good as to enlighten me.”

Harkinian nodded at another noble in canary yellow robes, and the man looked rather nervous, but explained.

“I take it then that your Majesty does not hunt for sport?” He asked, and Ganondorf narrowed his eyes.

“Sport? No. We hunt for food. There is no sense in killing a creature if you are not going to use it.”

“That is rather hypocritical, don’t you think?” Asked Harkinian evenly. “You would judge us for simply killing an animal, and yet you have committed atrocities towards humankind we could not dream of.”

Ganondorf smirked slowly, and the rest of the nobles shifted uncomfortably, clearly thinking their King’s speech was risky indeed.

“There is a difference.” He said slowly, watching one noble twitch his reins so nervously he accidently made his horse back up a few steps. “Between killing someone for a purpose, and killing for sport.” He glared at Harkinian. “All of my _atrocities_ , as you call them, were rightfully deserved. An animal, however, does not know better. It ought to be killed cleanly, quickly, mercifully. Beings ignorant of higher thought do not deserve to suffer as people do.”

Harkinian raised a brow. “I can see we do not agree on the subject. Let us not quarrel now; the next beast we see will be killed cleanly, if you prefer.”

Harkinian was a strange little man. Ready to insult at one second, laying the balm at the next. He seemed utterly fearless too – did he really think that just because he’d invited him here, that Ganondorf wouldn’t kill him if given reason? The Gerudo King shook his head slightly as the party turned their steeds to seek their next quarry, the body of the stag left to rot. What a waste, he thought. Back home, everything from the beast would be used, right down to the internal organs and the hooves, which made for a rather nice glue.

At that moment, one of the nobles reined in his horse.

“Do you hear that?” He whispered, holding up his hand. The party came to a stop, each man turning his ear to the wind. Ganondorf frowned, but then he heard it. It was the clear high voice of a woman singing. She sounded quite young… and her voice was sweet.

The nobles all grinned around at each other. “Well? Shall we hunt the maiden fair?” Called one, to raucous laughter from all around.

“Hush!” Said another. “She’ll hear us and stop.”

Ganondorf scowled but kept his thoughts to himself as they carefully rode up an incline, towards the sound of the girl. What did they mean, ‘hunt’ the maiden? He knew Hylian soldiers often raped the women unfortunate enough to be on the losing side of war… and he’d heard stories of nobles satisfying themselves with young girls and boys too poor and insignificant to stand up for their rights. His brows drew together. Rape was an abhorrence. If that is what they intended… they would not succeed.

They crested the hill and scanned the horizon.

“There!” Said the man in violet tights eagerly, until his pointing finger fell down, his mouth slack. Harkinian was rapidly turning a dangerous shade of red, for the young woman singing to herself as she moved alone through the woods… was Princess Zelda.

Ganondorf raised a brow and watched the Hylian King as he glared at his daughter.

“How.” Said Harkinian slowly. “Did she get out of the castle?”

No one answered him, for no one knew. Ganondorf tilted his head as he watched Zelda walking. From their vantage point a little behind her and up on a hill, she couldn’t see them, and the wind direction carried her voice to them, and theirs away from her. She looked so… carefree. The princess had her head up, she sounded happy, and was very clearly singing to the trees, touching each one as she passed. She passed through a small grove and was soon out of sight, though they could still hear her. He furrowed his brow. What was she doing out here? He’d not seen her once since the day of that little meeting where she’d so boldly addressed him, though he’d heard some advisors discussing her punishment for displeasing her father – she’d been confined to her rooms.

No wonder he hadn’t yet been able to speak to her properly. Ganondorf was getting irritated at his lack of answers, he wanted to know the situation, find out what was happening and why she allowed this to happen, and her bloody father had her locked up in her rooms. Not anymore, an inner voice reminded him, and he slowly grinned. It looked like she had a small seed of rebellion inside her after all – if she’d defied her father as far as sneaking out of the castle, perhaps she had a little more spine than he’d thought.

“Will we continue with the hunt, Sire, or…?” Asked a noble, and Harkinian answered, his narrowed eyes still fixed on the spot where Zelda had disappeared.

“We are going to find out exactly what my daughter is doing here.” He answered very precisely, and Ganondorf grinned. _This ought to be good._

They rode slowly down the hill, doing their best to be silent as they tracked Zelda through the woods. Her singing made it quite easy to do so, and they followed her for almost twenty minutes deep into the heart of the woods, whereupon they were obliged to stop and conceal themselves in a small grove, for the princess had stopped. She stood before an incredibly ancient statue of a woman – a tall, stately woman with wings. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes at the image of Hylia, all the things Demise had whispered about her resurfacing in his mind. What was Zelda doing _here?_

“What is that statue?” Asked one noble in a low whisper. “I didn’t know it was there.”

“It is Hylia.” Said Ganondorf grimly, and they all turned to look at him. Harkinian looked furious.

“What is she _doing?”_

Zelda knelt on the ground before the statue and said her customary prayer, both to Hylia and to the Three. Then, she stood up and lit the two braziers on either side of the statue. The ritual almost complete, she stood before Hylia and held out her hands, when she heard a noise. Zelda dropped her hands and turned around. It sounded almost like… a horse’s snort. She eyed the groves of tree’s surrounding the small clearing in which Hylia’s altar stood, and frowned at them.

“Hello?” She asked softly. “Is anyone there?”

There was no reply, and no more sounds either. Zelda began to feel a little silly, and so she turned around and held up her hands again. Focusing hard, she called a little of her magic to her. Weak and untrained, she couldn’t do much with it, but she could summon Hylia with it.

Her Triforce began to glow, and Zelda closed her eyes, focusing on thin thread that led her to the Goddess, and pulled. Warmth flooded through her, and she opened her eyes to find Hylia floating in the air before her. She did not look like her statue. Her form was shadowy and indistinct – she was golden light formed in the vague shape of a woman with wings. She had no facial features, no hands or feet, just light.

_Zelda…_

“Hylia.” Zelda inclined her head.

_What is it you wish?_

“I need your advice.”

_The Demon King is in Hyrule again_

“I know he is.” Zelda began to pace up and down before the Goddess. “But that’s not what I came to ask.”

_Then what?_

Harkinian glared at Zelda through the trees. The girl had obviously gone completely insane – she was talking to herself, holding a conversation with Hylia’s statue, apparently.

He watched as Zelda turned to face the statue again, looking annoyed.

“Yes, I know the Demon King is in Hyrule.” She snapped irritably.

All eyes turned to the Demon King in question, who was staring at the princess with a decidedly amused grin on his face.

Zelda continued to argue with her imaginary person.

“Yes, I know, I just – yes… yes, I _know_ …” She got fed up then and rounded on the statue. “Would you give it a rest? I know the Gerudo King is here! My father invited him! For the last time, Courage is not here, so I highly doubt there will be any smiting of any kind!

King Ganondorf gave a silent sort of chuckle, then folded his arms and leaned against the tree, looking entirely comfortable with himself.

“Who is she talking to?” Whispered one noble, and Harkinian turned to frown at the man. Zelda wasn’t really talking to anyone, she had obviously lost her mind entirely.

“Hylia.” Murmured the Demon King. “She’s talking to Hylia.”

There was a very long pause. Harkinian stared at the Demon King.

“And may I ask just how you know that?” He asked in a furious whisper.

King Ganondorf held up his Triforce. “I can see her.”

“Hylia?” Whispered another noble. “How can she be talking to Hylia? I thought she _was_ Hylia.”

Everyone looked to the Demon King for explanation, which rather irritated Harkinian.

“It is not really Hylia. Hylia no longer truly exists – Princess Zelda is her mortal form. The Princess is talking to a shade, an imprint of Hylia’s essence that has survived in her altar.”

 

“You’re not being very helpful today, you know.” Said Zelda very loudly, her hands on her hips.

The Demon King grinned, though a shadow flickered across his face. “Hylia was always stubborn.”

Harkinian stared for a moment, wondering what to say.

“Fine!” Zelda almost shouted. “If that’s the way you want to be, so be it!”

He was saved from having to say anything when Zelda, apparently having finished her conversation with the air-that-was-actually-a-Goddess, extinguished the braziers while muttering angrily to herself.

Ganondorf watched as Zelda finished tidying up the smoking and spluttering braziers, and then she turned to leave. Just as she reached the tree’s, Harkinian called out her name.

Ganondorf had to conceal his chuckle at Zelda as she nearly jumped right out of her skin, spinning around in a mad rush of skirts, her eyes huge.

Harkinian advanced upon her, and as the rest of the guards and nobles spread out behind him, Ganondorf thought he might as well move forwards as well. When the princess laid eyes on them all, he honestly thought she was going to faint.

“Papa…” She said weakly.

Ganondorf raised a brow as the little King strode purposefully towards his daughter.

“How did you get out of the castle?” Harkinian demanded.

Zelda looked down, and for a moment he thought she was going to defy her father and refuse to tell him, but no such luck. “There’s a ledge on the south wall.” She said, her voice tiny. “You can climb down from there.”

Harkinian turned to one of the guards, who nodded.

“We’ll have it blocked off immediately, Sire.” He said, and Zelda looked like she might cry. Ganondorf’s eye was caught by a large blue stone sitting in the centre of Hylia’s head piece – it was a sapphire, and from the way his magic surged inside him, he could tell it was what held Hylia’s shade to this statue.

“How often do you leave the castle?” Asked Harkinian, his calm tone at odds with his furious expression.

Zelda was clearly wilting under the weight of all the glares directed at her. “Sometimes.” She mumbled. “Once or twice every few months.”

“Why?”

“To speak with Hylia. She… she is wise.”

Ganondorf only barely stopped himself from snorting as Harkinian took another step forwards. “How did you find this place?” He asked, voice dangerous. “Who told you about it?”

Zelda looked nervous. “No one. I-”

Her father scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, girl. You mean to say you snuck out of the castle and got here by accident?”

She looked even more nervous. “I-I saw it. No one told me. I saw it in my dreams.”

Ganondorf pricked up his ears. So she had visions, did she? Interesting.

“In your dreams?” Scoffed Harkinian. “What kind of-”

“Visions.” Ganondorf interrupted, moving toward the princess. “What kind of visions?”

Zelda looked more petrified than ever. “Um…”

It was clear that questioning her in such a hostile manner would get him precisely nowhere.

Harkinian interjected then. “You’ll be punished for this, girl, make no mistake about that.” His voice was cold and ugly, and Zelda’s eyes were full of desperation as she bowed her head. Surprisingly, Ganondorf found he didn’t like it, not one bit.

“Yes, Papa.” She murmured.

Ganondorf turned his attention to the large sapphire on Hylia’s brow – he moved towards it, then when he had inspected it closely for a few moments, to the general bemusement of the group behind him, he tore it loose. The sapphire was warm to the touch and hummed in his hand, and as Ganondorf stepped off the dais, the statue creaked and groaned. Without the magic of Hylia’s soul to keep it bound and whole, the ancient statue crumbled into dust behind him. He watched this with barely a flicker of interest, preoccupied with the princess before him.

“No!” Zelda sounded anguished as she ran a half step forwards, her eyes full of pain.

Harkinian seized her outstretched arm. “ _Good_.” Her father snarled ferociously. “Now you haven’t anymore reason to come here if you get out of the castle ever again. King Ganondorf, I thank you.”

Ganondorf inclined his head. “Majesty.” He said quietly, surreptitiously slipping the jewel into his pocket.

Zelda let out a sob as she wrenched her arm free, and then, looking desperate and wild, she turned and ran into the woods.

Harkinian watched her go, and when he could no longer see his daughter through the trees, he said calmly. “Well, my Lord Keon. It looks like you’ll get to hunt the maiden fair after all.”

Narrowing his eyes, Ganondorf watched the way the nobles and guards rushed to their horses; Harkinian wanted them to hunt down his own daughter? He felt the warmth of the stone in his pocket, and frowned. They couldn’t hunt her… if somebody else found her first. Mounting his stallion, Ganondorf kicked the horse forwards, thundering into the undergrowth. Calling his magic, he sent out searching tendrils, seeking something with a similar tone to the ancient magic in his pocket. Zelda’s magic was never quite as powerful as Hylia’s had been, but it was similar – toned down to fit the raw energy of a Goddess into a mortal body. He found her after a few seconds, but was left confused – her magic was weak, far weaker than usual.

Hearing the sounds of other horses nearing him, Ganondorf spurred his steed on, and crashed through the trees into a small clearing. Zelda screamed bloody murder when she saw him and tried to flee, but he reached down as he passed and seized the back of her gown, hoisting her into the air to come to rest seated across his thighs. Tears poured down her cheeks as he locked her in place with his arms on either side of her, and then he spurred his stallion harder, pushing the horse up a sharp incline and then ducking back a way into a secretive glade walled in on one side by a large boulder.

Zelda pushed ineffectively at his chest with her hands, and he caught them in his own as she sobbed almost uncontrollably.

“Let me go!” She wailed, and he leaned in close.

“ _Quiet_.” He hissed. “Do you want your father to find you?”

That quieted her – indeed, the girl almost choked on a stifled sob. They both fell silent as in the near distance, they heard a distinct cry of “Did you hear her scream? She’s close!”

Zelda looked up at him and blinked, which caused the tears poised on her lashes to roll down her pale cheeks. Ganondorf let go of her hands and reached into another pocket for his handkerchief, which she took with a grateful and shaky ”Thank you.”

When she was done, Ganondorf slid an arm around her waist to hold her steady as he stood in the stirrups, scanning the area for any unwelcome members of her father’s court.

“Are you… _helping_ me?” She asked when he was seated again, her eyes huge and filled with wonder.

Ganondorf shrugged. “I suppose I am.”

“Why?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, Ganondorf reached into his pocket and pulled out Hylia’s shade fragment. “Here. I took this because I highly doubt you’d ever get back to that statue again. This houses Hylia’s soul, personality, whatever. You can call her wherever, whenever you like.”

Zelda looked shocked, but then her pretty face broke into a disarmingly wide and pleased smile. “Thank you.” She whispered, her voice low but fervent. “But… why would you do this for me?”

He shrugged again. “Not entirely sure. I presume it has something to do with the fact that your father is a snivelly little rodent whom I dislike very much.”

She smiled. “Don’t let Papa hear you say that.”

“I get the feeling that’s something you’re going to say to me often.” Ganondorf said, smirking at her smile.

Her delicate brows furrowed. Zelda appeared to have forgotten she was sitting on his lap, something he was really quite enjoying. She might be his mortal enemy, but she was still a woman, and he was still a man. “Why would I have any occasion to? You told me to stay away from you.”

Ganondorf barely refrained from rolling his eyes. He could tell that she had every intention of following orders – she was like a trained dog. “I’ve said that to most Zelda’s I’ve met. It doesn’t ever seem to work.”

She smiled again, then looked down at the sapphire in her hands, stroking the glimmering facets. “Thank you though, really. I suppose now I just have to figure out how to get back to the castle in one piece. But it’ll all be for nought. You heard him.” The princess sighed heavily. “I am to be punished.”

Ganondorf stared at her, the seeds of an idea formulating in his mind. “Not necessarily, Princess.” He said slowly. “If you agree to meet me later this week, I think I can convince Maroato to cause some trouble to distract everyone. She’d like that.”

Zelda looked concerned. “But then… my father would be angry at you all…” She said hesitantly, almost sweet in her concern. It was… a surprising thing, knowing she was concerned for him.

Ganondorf shrugged. “As if I’d care about what some shrivelled old peanut like him thinks of me.”

Her smile widened. “Thank you.” She said earnestly. “I would be glad to meet with you should you truly be able to distract Papa. I would certainly very much appreciate it.”

“Well then.” He said, flicking the reins. “We’d best be off. I assume the rest of them will be along soon.”

Once they reached the castle, he smuggled Zelda through the courtyard and into the stables, where she thanked him so fervently he thought she was going to cry before she ducked into the castle through the servants entrance, and then Ganondorf left his stallion in the care of the nervous stable hands and went looking for his sisters. Once he’d rounded them up, he smirked at them all.

“Listen up.” He said in Gerudo. “I happen to know for a fact that Harkinian is very angry at a particular person, and that won’t do. I can’t tell you everything, but I need a distraction, something that will take his mind off this person.” He paused, then looked at the slow grins forming there. “I give you all free rein. Pick fights. Break things. Offend stuffy nobles. Just… don’t do anything that will get us arrested or kicked out. I still don’t know why Harkinian invited me here, and I intend to find out.”

They all nodded, mischievous grins on their faces. Ganondorf pulled a small vial from his pocket. “This will be our excuse.” He said, revealing his fangs with his smirk as he poured a small measure of the liquid into a water jug. “Drink this, all of you. It will dilate your pupils, and it will let me confront Harkinian and accuse him of having someone in his court who has poisoned you all with a drug that removes all inhibitions and good sense in an attempt to have us all arrested.”

His sisters murmured their approval of the plan, and one by one they drank, Ganondorf watching in amusement as their pupils went huge and black, all but obliterating the gold.

“Right, off you go.” He said, flicking a hand in dismissal. “Remember, do what you like, but don’t get us arrested.”

They all cackled cheerfully to themselves as they dispersed throughout the castle.

The rest of the afternoon was pure bedlam. Ganondorf strolled rather contentedly throughout the halls, occasionally spying shards of broken glass or smashed marble, splatters of blood from where someone had quarrelled with a guardsman or two, nobles shouting indignantly as the Gerudo stole jewellery and articles of clothing right off their very person.

He was outside the gardens, attempting to conceal his grin and look purposeful instead, when a footman came flying around the corner.

“Your Majesty!” He gasped, looking petrified. “Um… the King – he wishes to speak with you!”

“Oh?” Growled Ganondorf menacingly, getting ready to play his part. So Harkinian was back, was he? Time for the performance. He strode swiftly through the castle, making the footman almost run in an effort not to get run over.

Zelda was quite afraid. What had Ganondorf gotten himself into, and more to the point, why had he done it? Too afraid to leave it in her rooms, Zelda had the spirit stone that held Hylia tucked down her corset, pressed snugly against her breastbone. It was warm, and it was like a little clarifier, something to calm her and steady her thoughts. Ganondorf said he wished to speak with her. _About what?_ He didn’t like her father, that much was obvious, but was that enough to overcome centuries of hatred? She doubted it, and yet… he seemed fairly sincere. Maybe she would hear him out. At any rate, she owed him after this.

Her father had summoned her straight to the throne room once he had returned from the woods, and she’d entered with great nervousness, thinking he might actually lock her in the dungeons for this. Then, a number of guards had run in and whispered urgently in her father’s ear then run out again, and then a Gerudo woman had entered, bold as brass, and stolen her father’s crown right off his head. The woman had been captured and now knelt in chains at the base of the dais. Zelda could tell immediately that something wasn’t right; the woman’s face was dazed, her pupils all but blacking out the gold of her eyes.

King Harkinian, however, was furious. An urgent summoning had been sent to the Gerudo King to present and explain himself, and now they were waiting. Zelda was doing her best to blend into a potted plant as she waited, and then abruptly the doors crashed open and a visibly outraged Demon King entered.

Harkinian was on his feet in an instant as Zelda cringed into the fern beside her.

“What is the meaning of this?” The Hylian King blustered, but the Gerudo King far outmatched him, his massive imposing form striding up the long room in what felt like a second, his long hair whipping about his form, almost crackling with dark energy.

“A question I should ask the same of you!” Roared Ganondorf. “Who is responsible for this?”

His furious golden gaze fastened on the woman chained to the floor and darkened angrily.

“Who?” Shouted Harkinian. “ _You!_ Control your _women_ or have them all arrested!”

Ganondorf fairly crackled with rage. “ _I!_ Is it not _you_ who has poisoned my sisters!” He bellowed, and a cold silence fell after these words.

“Poisoned?” Inquired Harkinian doubtfully, and Zelda clenched her fingers around a palm frond. Ganondorf looked terrifying now – he was so _huge_ , and clearly so very angry… she wondered how on earth her father could stand to defy him.

“ _Poisoned_.” Confirmed Ganondorf flatly. He motioned at the woman chained to the floor. “Look at Eseri’s eyes! She is out of her mind.”

All looked, and Zelda knew her father was just now noticing the abnormal dilation of Eseri’s pupils. He shifted uncomfortably, but Ganondorf wasn’t finished.

“Am I to take it then, that someone at this court wishes my sisters to be arrested? _Executed_ , perhaps? I know that would take small provocation indeed.” The Demon King’s tone had dropped to a menacing one indeed. “Perhaps that was your intention all along.”

Harkinian held up his hand. “Now, King Ganondorf, let us not be hasty in our accusations. I am as much ignorant of this as you are. Let your, er, sisters, be delivered into the care of the castle healers, and I will have the Captain of the Guards summoned at once. We _will_ uncover the perpetrator.”

Ganondorf glared for a moment longer. “See that you do.” He said, quietly but threateningly, and then he reached down and snapped the chains about the arms and legs of his sister like wet paper. The court all goggled at him, Zelda included, as the woman stood up and tried to twirl around like a dancer, but Ganondorf gripped her upper arm firmly and led her from the room.

King Harkinian looked quite angry as he spoke to the Captain of the Guards, who arrived a few moments after the Gerudo King had left. Once the Hylian King’s orders had been received, her father sank back in his throne, looking lost in thought.

Zelda kept as still as she could, wanting very much to flee to her rooms but unwilling to move lest her motion catch her father’s attention. At length, however, Harkinian motioned to her.

“Come here, girl.”

Very nervously, Zelda did as she was bid. Curtsying before him, her fingers trembled as she awaited her punishment.

Harkinian glared coldly at her for a long moment, then spoke. “Your little avenue of escape has been closed off, Zelda.”

She bowed her head, sorrow crossing her features. Now she was well and truly stuck within the castle walls. “Yes, Papa.”

“You realise-” Harkinian cut himself as the doors burst open and three Gerudo women burst in, all giggling hysterically, one of them with a broken nose and trailing blood as they outran the small platoon of guards perusing them. Zelda dove behind her father’s throne as one of them hurled a pot of yoghurt – it hit Harkinian squarely in the chest a split second before the woman was tackled to the floor by one of the guards.

Harkinian began barking orders as several footman dashed over to offer their assistance, the captured Gerudo woman singing very loudly as her two sisters still evaded the guards.

“Zelda!” He snapped, and she hurriedly scooted around so he could see her. “Go back to your rooms-”

There was a loud shattering noise as one of the Gerudo pushed an urn off its pedestal, scattering shards of pottery across the floor. Harkinian made a noise of utter disgust and stood up, turning towards her. “Get out of my sight.” He hissed before turning to his servants.

Zelda did not need telling twice.


	4. The First Bloom of Spring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we see more of Zelda's father being a tremendous jerk, and Zelda's feelings for Ganondorf start to blossom.

Zelda clenched her fingers tightly around her novel as she made her way down to the very far end of the gardens, seeking the spot Ganondorf where had told her to meet him. It had been four days since he’d helped her, four days since he’d put both himself and his women on the line to distract her father and help her evade punishment for leaving the castle. It had worked too; the Gerudo had caused quite a bit of damage during their ‘drugging’, and Harkinian had since been busy soothing furious nobles and sorting up what exactly was to be done about it. There was an entire section of the guards dedicated to uncovering whoever had drugged the Gerudo women, and they were pulling their hair out from their lack of results. While this was going on, Ganondorf was storming dramatically around the castle, glaring threateningly and suspiciously at anyone and everyone he saw, and was quite clearly enjoying himself.

While the Demon King hadn’t actually come out and admitted to her that the drugging was part of his plot, it was too much of a coincidence that it wasn’t him who’d done it. The Gerudo themselves had been in far too good of a mood later on for supposed victims of poisoning, which only confirmed her suspicions. Zelda smiled slightly to herself as she paused to pluck a large red rose from the bush. She breathed the sweet scent in deeply, twirling the bloom to free it of the drops of water; today was a slow and rainy day, the sky was grey and a blanket of crystal drops draped over everything – her favourite kind of weather.

Ganondorf paused in the act of frowning at the drizzly sky when movement caught his eye. Turning to his right, he saw Princess Zelda emerging from behind the hedge, her hair gleaming with thousands of diamond pinpricks, her silk gown stained with raindrops. Clearly, she’d been out in the gardens for some time. She stopped and curtsied deeply, then smiled quite prettily, moving towards the bench to his left to put down her book and water stained red rose.

“Good morning, Sire.” She said, her voice quite cheerful as she turned to face him properly.

“Good morning, Princess.” He replied, then beckoned her closer. Zelda did, but her smile faded slightly as suspicion showed on her features. Ganondorf held out a hand for hers, and she hesitated slightly, but slipped her gloved fingers into his. He tugged her a little closer then held up his other hand, which glowed with magic.

Alarm showed on Zelda’s face and she attempted to pull free from his grip, but it was too late – he’d already finished the enchantment, and the two of them were now encased within a sphere of magic, faintly shimmering in the air around them. Ganondorf released Zelda’s slender fingers and sat himself down on the bench.

“Did you know your father is having me followed?” He inquired, and Zelda turned her suspicious gaze from the magic sphere to his face.

“No.” She said, her tone surprised. “I did not.”

Ganondorf nodded. “I thought as much.” He gestured to the sphere. “This magic ensures we will not be overheard by Harkinian’s spies.” He nodded at the seat beside him. “Sit. We have much to discuss.”

Her brows drew together but she nodded and sat. “Very well. What did you wish to talk about?”

He grinned lazily at her. “Did you like our distraction?”

Zelda’s smile widened. “I did, as a matter of fact. It was very timely too. Papa was just about to sentence me to something horrid when your sisters came and saved my bacon.”

Ganondorf almost couldn’t help his grimace at the word _bacon_. “And you still haven’t been punished for it?”

“Not as much as I would have.” She said, looking a little sad. “I was still confined to my rooms though. But enough of such dreary thoughts. _You_ poisoned them, didn’t you? What did you use? I’ve spent the last few days trying to figure out what would have caused such symptoms, to no avail. They weren’t actually out of their minds, were they? You must have given them something to dilate their pupils.”

He snickered slightly. “You’re not slow on the uptake, Princess. I did indeed, but I’m not surprised you can’t figure out what it is. I won’t tell you the name of it, because it is a very handy poison and I would hate for word to get out about it, but an extremely small and diluted amount does in fact give those exact symptoms. Suffice to say it is a hard to get hold of poison extracted from a rare desert flower.”

She nodded rather eagerly. “Then I must thank you, if you used such rare stock for my benefit.”

Ganondorf shrugged slightly. “It had its upsides. This, for instance.”

Zelda looked a little confused now. “…This?”

He grinned and leaned in, making her pull back in shock. “I’ve wanted nothing more than to speak with you properly for the past fortnight, Princess.”

Zelda looked utterly befuddled (and a little bit pleased), her hand absentmindedly pulling her hair over her shoulder to fiddle with it. “Really?” She asked faintly, and then with more strength, “But why? What reason could you possibly have to speak to me? My father handles all royal business-”

“That’s exactly my point.” He interrupted. “Why does he? I admit, in times past, I’ve seen Zelda’s quite happily living here while their parent’s ruled. But their opinions were heard. They were the Crown Princesses, the Bearers of Wisdom. You are... you are so quiet, so meek. Where is your voice?”

Zelda turned away. “I don’t have one.” She said quietly.

“But _why?”_ Ganondorf was confused and beyond frustrated, and gripped her shoulder so he could turn her and see her face.

“Papa does not consider me a suitable candidate for the throne.” She said very stiffly, and right before his eyes, he watched her build her walls up higher. “I might be the Crown Princess, and technically his heir, but he’s searching for a new one.”

There was a small silence during which Ganondorf stared at her, utterly amazed, and then the shutters closed over her pretty blue eyes.

“I should not have said that.” Zelda stood up. “Please excuse me, but I ought to get back.”

Still utterly lost, Ganondorf stood up and took her gloved hand to kiss it lightly. “Very well.” He murmured against her skin. “Princess.”

Zelda curtsied slightly. “Sire.” She said softly, and picked up her book and rose as he lowered the bubble of silence.

He watched her walk away from him, turning this new information over in his mind. Zelda and her father had a very peculiar relationship, that was for sure. She was squashed down, her growth stunted – she wasn’t permitted to speak her mind, and now… her father wanted to _disinherit_ her? In favour of whom? Who could possibly be more worthy a contender for the throne of Hyrule then Princess Zelda? Besides him, of course.

Ganondorf swore roughly and turned on his heel. He’d get to the bottom of things sooner or later, that much he promised himself.

He emerged from the bushes to see Zelda being waylaid by a Hylian man; the expression on her face was equal parts unwilling and confused. Ganondorf ignored the pair as he went into the castle; he didn’t stop to think that Zelda had basically admitted no one talked to her – why was this man, then?

He went back to the shared Gerudo chambers and sat himself down in a chair to think, pretty much ignoring most of his sisters as they went about their business. At length, however, Jaroobi, who, as one of the few who could speak rudimentary Hylian, was forever scouting the halls in order to pick up what was being said before the ‘oblivious’ Gerudo, came sprinting into the room.

“Guess what?” She cried, and everyone turned towards her.

“What?” He demanded.

“Harkinian has completely lost the plot! He’s ranting and raving like a lunatic and he looks like a tomato-”

“Why?” Interjected Elavi.

“Princess Zelda.” Said Jaroobi, catching his attention completely. “She’s done something, and he’s furious. Shouting at her before the whole court, poor thing, she looks like she’s going to cry-”

Ganondorf missed the end of her sentence as he warped out of the room, landing outside the throne room, where he could indeed hear Harkinian screaming at his daughter.

“HOW _DARE_ YOU BESMIRCH THE NAMES OF YOUR ANCESTORS IN THIS WAY!”

That was the scream that greeted him as he edged through the open doors and mingled with the crowd watching the spectacle. Ganondorf stared, along with everyone else in the room, at the red faced Hylian King and his daughter, who was clearly on the verge of tears. Spying a nearby Hylian advisor, Ganondorf sidled over to the man.

“What did Wisdom do?” He hissed, and the man looked quite delighted at the prospect of gossip.

“Something not too wise, I’m afraid, Sire.” He whispered back. “She was caught in a… compromising position with a minor Lord.”

Ganondorf raised a brow. “That doesn’t sound like her.”

The man frowned. “How would you… oh. Well, yes, I agree. Apparently, this Lord merely tried to kiss her – he wants to marry her, see – and they were seen. It was Lord Korvun's fault, yet she is the one to be punished.”

“Why?”

The man sighed. “The King doesn’t like his daughter. You see, he wished for a son, but instead he was granted not only a daughter, but one out of legend, one to whom everyone looks up too.” He sighed again. “It’s a real pity too. I remember when she was a little girl – a more vivacious and bubbly little thing you never saw. As she’s gotten older, her father has stamped out all her personality. She exists as a perfect porcelain doll – because if she steps out of line, the consequence’s will be severe. He's called her a whore about six times in the last five minutes now.”

Harkinian’s shouting grew in volume, interrupting their whispered conversation, and then Zelda turned mid-sentence and walked stiffly from the room, ignoring her father’s demands that she return and face him at once.

“She’s going to regret that.” Murmured the man. “There’s nothing he hates more than disobedience from her – and in front of an audience too.”

“Hmm.” Ganondorf made a non-committal noise, and then, as the King got steadily redder and redder, he made for the door – there were quite a few people escaping the Hylian King’s wrath.

At the end of the corridor, he heard a faint sob, and turned his head in time to see the end of a long blonde braid disappear round a corner, and he turned midstride to follow her. Following silently, he could see Zelda’s shoulders shaking, a small strangled sob escaping her throat every few steps, when up ahead, there came the sound of an approaching person. The princess immediately wrenched open the nearest door and slipped inside; after a moment of hesitation, Ganondorf followed. Silently shutting the door behind him, he looked around to find his entry had gone unnoticed; Zelda was curled in a window seat, her head resting on the sill while pillowed on her arms.

His movement towards her went unnoticed through her tears, and so when he touched her shoulder gently, she jumped violently, lurching to her feet. When she recognised him, her face paled and she swayed alarmingly, shaking fingers wiping her tears away.

Zelda stared at the Gerudo King that had suddenly materialised before her, and felt more shame then ever before. Power would surely think her weak, far weaker than the previous bearers of Wisdom. She attempted to get her tears to stop.

“I’m – sorry.” She got out, voice trembling. “I – I –”

That was all she managed before Ganondorf did something highly unexpected; he stepped forwards and pulled her into his chest. Zelda squeaked in alarm and froze, but as a large hand stroked soothingly up and down her back, she became conscious of the first sympathetic human touch she’d had in years. Something within her broke, and when one sob escaped, she was suddenly crying hysterically, pressing herself as close as possible, her hands digging into the fabric of his robes. One arm locked around her waist, and then Ganondorf sat on the window seat, pulling her with him. Zelda didn’t look up, just buried her face in his chest and let her tears flow.

He was speaking, murmuring low Gerudo words into her ear in a manner that was plainly supposed to be comforting, and Zelda refused to let herself ask why he was doing this – she took his comfort while it was offered.

When at last she exhausted her tears, she sat up slightly, and Ganondorf looked at her with confusion, pity – and derision. _He thinks I’m weak_.

“Sorry.” She whispered. “I suppose you must think I’m pretty pathetic.”

He neither confirmed nor denied, just looked at her. “Why do you allow your father to treat you in this way?” He asked.

Zelda took a deep breath, acutely aware of the fact his hand was still resting on her waist. “I haven’t any choice.”

“But you are the Bearer of Wisdom.” Ganondorf sounded frustrated; in all their conversations like this, it always came back to her Triforce piece – he seemed genuinely unable to fathom a Triforce Bearer being downtrodden and browbeaten in this way.

She looked at him then. “That doesn’t matter in Papa’s eyes. He… does not want a daughter; he blames the Triforce for giving him me rather than the son he desired.”

She wiped her eyes as Ganondorf considered this. “That is ridiculous.” He said firmly. “You were chosen by a Goddess; he was merely born privileged. You are more important than him.”

“Don’t let Papa hear you say that.” She said with a watery chuckle. “That’s tantamount to treason.”

A smirk played around Ganondorf’s mouth. “Good thing I’m not Hylian then.”

Her smile faded. “Why… are you here? I thought – you didn’t like me, like Wisdom.”

“I don’t. It’s just that, right now, I dislike your father more.”

“Oh.” Zelda fished a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Curiously enough, that made the Demon King sigh in disgust. “Why do you keep apologising? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Zelda considered. “Habit, I suppose. I’ve spent most of my life attempting to be perfect, and being punished when I fail. That adds up to a lot of apologies.”

Ganondorf went to say something, but at that moment, the door flung wide to reveal Alozo, the greasiest of her father’s advisors – and King Harkinian’s most trusted one.

“Well.” He sneered. “What do we have here? Not even an hour after being reprimanded before the whole court for whoring about with Lord Korvun, and now I find you with the Gerudo King.” The man smiled a slimy grin as Ganondorf slowly withdrew his hand from her waist. “I’m sure my King will want to hear of this at once.” Alozo’s smile became cruel. “You won’t make it back to your rooms in time, _Princess_.”

Ganondorf watched the oily little man disappear in a poof of sickly green light, and then Zelda shot to her feet, hands shaking. “He’s right.”” She wailed. “I won’t get back – my rooms are too far away!” She pressed her hands against her head, and then – alarmingly – dug her nails in. “Papa – Papa’s going to –”

Moving quickly, he grabbed her hands and lowered them to her sides, calling his magic in the same moment and sending them both whirling through space to land in the middle of her chambers. He steered her over to a chair with a piece of embroidery sitting on a table next to it, and made her sit, shoving the hoop into her hands.

“Here.” He said quickly, dropping her discarded handkerchief into her lap. “Dry your tears, and _lie_.”

Zelda clenched her handkerchief in her fist as Ganondorf disappeared into thin air. _He’d helped her_. _Again_. Drawing in a shaky breath, she swiftly wiped her cheeks clear of tears, wedged the damp handkerchief back into her pocket, and managed one stitch in her embroidery before the doors flew open to reveal her father and Alozo, wisps of green curling off their forms. Her father looked angry, and Alozo positively floored as Zelda stood and curtsied in response to their entrance, trying to make herself look innocent and demure.

“What’s this?” Said her father angrily, turning to his man. “Alozo, you said-”

“I know what I said, your Majesty!” Cried the slimy man. Advancing into the room, he stabbed a finger at her. “Where is he?”

“Where’s who?” Zelda did her best to look confused.

“The Demon King, of course!”

“The Demon King? Why would King Ganondorf be with me? I’m in my private quarters.” She frowned at him. “I hope you’re not implying anything, Sir.”

Alozo looked simply furious. “I saw you with him! He was in one of the lower reception rooms with you! He was touching you inappropriately!”

Her father frowned, his expression becoming unhappy when he realised he didn't have a rational argument here. “The reception rooms? If she was in the reception rooms, why would you bring me here first? Don't you realise there's no _proof?”_ The King stepped back, looking angry. “After all.” He snapped. “She's surely learned her lesson from before. Haven't you, Zelda?”

"I have." She said earnestly. "I truly have, Papa."

Harkinian nodded - he didn't look happy, but she could tell he'd shouted himself out and was no longer inclined to scream at her - for now. "You aren't to leave this room for the remainder of the week." He snapped, then turned and left without another word.

Zelda watched as her father stalked off down the corridor, and as Alozo glared at her, rage bubbling on his features, she smiled brightly at him. The greasy little man’s eyes widened, and he took a step forwards.

“I _will_ catch you out, Princess.” He hissed. “Make no mistake about _that_.”

With that, the door slammed shut, and Zelda let out a sigh of relief, sinking back down in her chair. Ganondorf had saved her hide in more ways the one, and now… her busy mind began to wonder _why_.

Several days later, Ganondorf was also wondering this. He was pacing the room, heedless of the looks he was getting from the Gerudo warriors congregated inside.

“Are you alright, Ganondorf?” Asked one of them, eyeing him dubiously.

“Mmm?” He tossed her a distracted glance and kept pacing, considering the enigma of Princess Zelda. These thoughts had been bubbling away in his mind for a few days now, and he still didn’t have an answer. Why had he helped her? She was Wisdom, his mortal enemy – by rights, he ought to have thrown her to the wolves. _So why didn’t I?_ The answer hit him like a thunderbolt; Princess Zelda had always been his equal, along with that blasted hero, and _he_ was the one to put her down. _Or vice versa_ , a small voice chimed, but he pushed it away. He’d come here expecting to see the brilliant, passionate, talented, fierce woman she always was, but instead she was meek, weak-willed. _No, I don’t think so, actually,_ he mused. Ganondorf recalled the flashes he’d seen in her eyes – if given the chance, this Zelda would be exactly as _Zelda-ry_ as those who’d come before her… and he wanted to see it.

Ganondorf didn’t like this realisation much – true, she’d be far easier to crush like this, but where was the fun in that? He _enjoyed_ beating such spirited defiance, it gave him a thrill. To face such subservience, well, it wasn’t half so enjoyable sounding. Besides, no one had the right to crush her but him, and her own father the cause of it too! Ganondorf felt rather like exterminating the King, waiting for Zelda to take her throne and come out of her shell and _then_ dealing with her. Then it would be like he was used to. _But how?_ He still hadn’t heard what the bloody Hylian King wanted with him beyond this damned peace treaty. Ganondorf knew there was something else, but he was buggered if he knew what.

For the past few days, he’d been getting more and more impatient, and he’d more or less made up his mind to leave in the next day or so if Harkinian didn’t stop beating around the bush. Now, however, he found himself wanting to stay and observe; with such tension between the throne and Wisdom, Hyrule would surely be weaker… unless Princess Zelda was being truthful when she said she didn’t have any power at all. Either way, it was worth observing and analysing, to add to his plans.

But then again! Zelda’s behaviour; she didn’t seem all there – the way she’d dug her nails viciously into her own head wasn’t the behaviour of a rational being – and Wisdom was supposedly the most rational of all. Perhaps her lack of control, the belittlement, the stress of existing perfectly, her lack of everything Wisdom held dear – perhaps it had gotten to her, driven her insane. This promised to be interesting – he’d never seen Wisdom with such cracks in her façade. It was worth seeing if he could use that to his advantage.

But first – he would speak to her, try and ascertain if she were truly mad. Having reached a decision, Ganondorf relaxed and dropped into a chair; he’d already broken three, and the Hylian footmen assigned to attend them were pulling out their hair trying to find furniture sturdy enough to hold his weight. At length, it seemed they had succeeded, for the chair he sat upon creaked worryingly, but held. He could see his sisters watching him curiously, but he ignored them in favour of constructing a plan. Ganondorf knew some of them had been out exploring the castle that morning, and so he spoke up.

“Has anyone seen the princess this morning?” He inquired casually, drawing a few confused and suspicious glances.

“Why?” Asked Jaroobi. “You’re not going to try something?”

“No, not really. Do you remember that little performance she and the King put on the other day?”

“You mean when the King humiliated her like that? Don’t like her much but by the Lady, I felt sorry for her after that.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Mmm. She and her father definitely have a peculiar relationship. But no, I simply want to ask her something.”

This statement was met with surprise, and finally, Sororu spoke up. “I saw her in the gardens about twenty minutes ago. She was reading by the fountain in the western section.”

“Good a place as any to start.” Ganondorf stood and left the room, heading towards the gardens. He intended to see just how Zelda reacted to his presence when she wasn’t hysterically crying – and when they were alone. He’d only really ever seen her when surrounded by other people, and she barely acknowledged his presence, clearly obeying both his and her father’s edicts to stay away. But he had caught her looking, blue eyes immediately darting away whenever he caught her stare. So. Wisdom’s thoughts included him – what were those thoughts? he wondered.

Ganondorf ignored each and every other person he passed as he made his way down to the gardens. Turning left, he affected a casual stroll, hoping to appear to anybody watching that he was simply enjoying the gardens. He knew that the Hylian King had people following him – he’d caught them a few times, yet hadn’t actually revealed to his tails that he knew they were there. There was an advantage to be had in leading his tails about while actually concealing his true motives; he wondered now if the man following him would report this little conversation of his with the princess, if he found her, and whether the King would bring it up, thereby revealing that he’d been having him followed, or would he conceal it? Either way, it was sure to drive the little man up the wall, so Ganondorf would enjoy it.

The fountain – where was the fountain? He took a moment and pretended to pick a few leaves off a hedge while he scanned the surrounding area for the sound or sight of water. Identifying the sound of it, Ganondorf set off towards it, taking a roundabout route when he came to a dead end in the hedges. Finally, he arrived at the fountain, which was situated in a sort of courtyard filled with low stone benches and overflowing with roses in urns. _Too many roses,_ he thought absently. Hyrule Castle was full to the brim with them, the bright scented blooms growing wherever you looked. The overall effect was very quaint, the image of the tall castle walls covered with climbing ivy, sweetly scented flowers bursting over the old cobbles. He recalled a lifetime in which he’d stood in these very gardens and watched them burn.

There – Sororu was right. The princess was sitting on a bench, reading a book. She had her knees drawn up as she relaxed against the stone bench, and every few seconds she would tip her head back to soak up the warmth of the sun – it had been a drizzly few days, and he and all his sisters were glad to see the return of the sun, even if it did seem rather weak to them. Ganondorf headed towards her, waiting to see if she would realise he was there – she didn’t, even when he was not even a metre away.

Zelda let out a little sigh of contentment – the sun felt very pleasant on her face, and she forgot her book for the moment as she relaxed. At that moment, she heard a man clear his throat. Remembering her position, her eyes flew open as she sat up and realised just who was standing before her. Zelda tried to straighten and stand up at the same time, and the result was that she got tangled up in her shawl and fell off the bench. She hit the ground with an _oof_ , and then peeked rather sheepishly up at the Gerudo King.

He was grinning, and then surprisingly, he bent down and offered her his hand.

“My apologies, Princess.” He said as she took it, his voice deep and amused as he pulled her to her feet. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Oh…” Heat rushed into her cheeks. “It’s…fine, Sire.”

She remembered herself then, and curtsied. Ganondorf still looked amused, and she met his gaze then dropped her eyes, feeling discomforted.

“I’m glad I’ve run into you, Princess.” He said, and she looked up at him again.

“Oh?”

“Yes, I’ve been wishing to speak to you.”

“To me? Again?” Zelda frowned at him doubtfully. “Not to Papa?”

A flash of irritation lit his features. “No, most definitely not.”

“What do you wish to talk to me about this time, Sire?” She asked quietly. Zelda was… confused. No one ever wanted to speak to her about things. No one. Now, Ganondorf had sought her out several times. She didn’t know what to make of it.

“I want to know what’s going on here. I’ve tried to get it out of you a few times now, and it hasn’t worked – but don’t worry, I’m determined to get an answer this time.” He said curtly – Ganondorf still gripped her hand, and now he put it firmly into the crook of his elbow and held it there, ensuring she couldn’t pull back as her lead her away from her bench and into the hedges.

That made her nervous. Papa disliked her speaking with people – if they were seen, it could be dangerous for both of them. “I don’t know what you mean-” She began, but he cut her off.

“Yes you do.” He sounded irritated. “Now answer me. Why doesn’t anyone speak to you? They all look down on you, treat you like something lesser.”

“Oh.” Zelda looked away and placed a hand lightly to her throat. “I… I don’t know. Not really. Papa has driven them all away, and I can’t think what I’ve done wrong…” She took a deep breath. “Papa has never liked me. Some say it’s because I’m not a boy, but… I don’t know.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Tell me your duties.” He said.

She frowned up at him. “I don’t have any. I’m not permitted to attend meetings, or speak with advisors… Papa even frowns upon my going to the library, in case I accidentally learn something political.”

“That doesn’t make _sense_.” Ganondorf sounded frustrated.

She shrugged lightly. “It is what Papa wills.”

“Then what do you do with yourself?”

“What any other fine lady does. I paint, draw, sing. I read, embroider, cover screens and dance. I am only permitted the most menial tasks.”

“What would you do if you could do anything?”

She smiled widely. “What a lovely dream. I would… unlock the library, for a start. There are entire sections I am not permitted to enter – Papa doesn’t want me getting ideas. I would educate myself. Learn politics, economics, learn about my Kingdom and how to run it. At the moment I can’t do anything, despite my so-called Wisdom.”

Ganondorf was quiet for a moment. “So-called?”

“Yes.” Zelda’s smile faded. “What is the good of being wise if I am not permitted to know anything?”

“Why does your father-”

Zelda steeled herself. “I don’t mean to be rude, Sire, but why do you care? Considering your history with my ancestors, I should think you’d be glad that I am not in charge.”

He grinned. “That’s what I told myself. But… I object to a Triforce bearer being belittled like this. I consider Wisdom and Courage to be my only equals, and only I get to squish you flat.”

She laughed. “Oh, I am not your equal. In my past lives, certainly, but not now.”

“That will change.” He said softly, dangerously, and Zelda stopped walking. Ganondorf turned to face her, and she stared at him in horror.

“What?” She took a step forwards. “You’re not going to do something, are you? You can’t! I mean, I appreciate the thought but... Papa-”

“I don’t care about your father.” Ganondorf said darkly. “Why should I? He’s invited me here and hasn’t said what for. No, I’d very much like to see _you_ on the throne. Something tells me you’d be much easier to deal with.”

Zelda looked nervously around. Had anybody heard that? “Not so loud.” She hissed. “Do realise what would happen to me if my father suspected me of treason?” Her eyes widened as another thought hit her. “Do you _want_ that? My father would jump at the chance to have me locked away, or – or executed. You _do_ want that.” Breathing faster, she turned and scurried away without waiting for a reply, ignoring his call.

Ganondorf swore as he watched the princess make her escape. It was clearly a very dangerous situation for her here, one that she wasn’t blind to. Was she serious? Her father would jump at the chance to have her executed? And here he was thinking that it’d be the same as it usually was – the princess being all high and mighty with everyone under the sun panting over her, her parents fawning over their jewel of a daughter – but it wasn’t.

He hadn’t been lying when he’d said he wanted to change that – he was becoming more offended by the second that she, a Triforce bearer, was being treated in this fashion. No, he’d think of something. Perhaps… the King surely wouldn’t be that hard to dispose of, and he could nudge Zelda in the right direction. It was… food for thought.

 

* * *

 

Zelda was sitting in her rooms working on her embroidery several days later, when there came a knock at her door. Standing up, she made her way to the door and opened it only to find the hallway empty. Frowning slightly, she peered down both ends of the corridor but no one was there. With a confused shrug, she went to shut the door, only to notice a small something sitting on the floor. With another look down the corridor, she surmised it had been left for her, so she stooped to pick it up. Zelda turned the book over in her hands, and furrowed her brow as a small piece of paper fell out. Flipping it over, she found it inscribed with a message.

_From the ‘restricted section’._

_Dreams have to start somewhere._

Down the corridor, Ganondorf leaned against the wall and watched Zelda read his note. A slow smirk hovered around his mouth as he watched a smile bloom across her features, and then he frowned as she spoke, seemingly to no one.

“Oh… wouldn’t it be nice if it were that simple?” She said softly, stroking her fingers over the embossed cover. He’d given her a book on the political history of Hyrule that he’d found in the restricted section of the library. He’d snuck in there using the same cloaking magic he was using now to remain unseen as he watched her reaction to his little gift; he stayed there until she went back inside her chambers, the book held tight against her chest.

Zelda curled up in her chambers and hungrily devoured the book. So many concepts! So many things she didn’t know – she was so enraptured she ended up missing dinner, for she was deep in the middle of a long winded explanation of a negotiation with Acerose that had gone horribly wrong a century earlier. It was riveting, particularly the discussions on the Princess Zelda who had ruled at the time, and she completely forgot such trivial things as _time_.

It was in this way she was tapped on the shoulder by a maid. Zelda jumped and lowered the book.

“Oh!”

“Your Highness.” The maid curtsied. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Her thoughts instantly catapulted back to the last person to say that to her, and she shook her head slightly.

“It’s fine. Did you want something?”

“Yes, your Highness. The King wishes to know why you weren’t in attendance at tonight’s dinner?”

Zelda shot to her feet. _“What?_ I missed dinner? How did that happen?”

The maid looked uncomfortable. “His Majesty says that you’ve dishonoured his guests, Princess. He instructed me to say you’re to hand deliver an apology to the Gerudo King in the morning.”

“What?” Zelda stared at the girl. That was… an odd request, to say the least. “Are you sure?”

“Positive, Princess.” The maid bobbed a slight curtsy.

“Okay.” Zelda nodded and turned away. “Take my father my apologies. Tell him… I was feeling ill. I’ll apologise to the Gerudo King in the morning.”

The maid curtsied deeply and left, leaving Zelda to stare at her book. Why did Papa want her to apologise? He’d told her more than once to stay away from the foreign King, and more than that, had made it clear he didn’t like the man, and had no wish to pay him any more civilities than strictly necessary. So why…? It was a puzzle, and she intended to puzzle it out.

 

* * *

 

The following day, Zelda was up bright and early, traipsing over the castle looking for the Gerudo King. Eventually, she found him; he was in the gardens, reading some documents in the weak sun.

“Good morning.” She called, bobbing a curtsy before moving a little closer. A slow smirk played around his lips as Ganondorf stood up.

“Good morning. Princess.”

Zelda wasn’t sure why he paused before stating her title, so she disregarded it.

“Will you… walk with me, Sire? I’ve something to say.”

His smirk grew a little, but he held out his arm chivalrously. “But of course, Princess.”

Zelda took his arm, and they moved off into the shrubbery.

“Well?” Ganondorf said. “Don’t let my curiosity kill me.”

“I’m here to apologise for missing dinner last night.”

Ganondorf frowned at the young woman on his arm. “What?” He said blankly. “Why would you apologise for that? You were ill.”

She looked a little embarrassed. “Oh, well, you see, I wasn’t actually ill… I simply lost track of time. I was reading.”

“Oh? And you feel you need to apologise for that?”

Zelda grinned up at him, showing her teeth in her smile like she did far too rarely. It suited her.

“No, but… it was a good book.”

Ganondorf knew what she was leading up to, and gave a cursory scan over his shoulder for his tails. As far as he could tell, they weren’t being overheard, so they could touch this subject. “History, was it?”

“Political history. The best kind.”

She was still smiling widely, and he grinned. “I suppose you’re hinting at me from all these leading questions that you think _I_ gave you that book?”

Zelda’s smile only widened. “Oh dear. I hope this doesn’t mean that cryptic message was your best shot at concealing your identity.”

He snorted a laugh. “No, I wasn’t attempting to remain hidden. But now that we’re on the subject, did you like it?”

Zelda turned to face him. “Oh, it’s wonderful, thank you for giving it to me. So many things I didn’t know!” Her face turned maudlin. “So much more I won’t know…”

Ganondorf flailed about in his mind for something to distract her. “So, what did you think of chapter seventeen?”

Just like that, her smile was back. “You mean the separation of the River and Sea Zora, and the impact it had on Hyrule? I think it’s… interesting how that Zelda handled it. I don’t think I’d have done quite the same thing.”

“Oh? What would you have done?”

“Well, for starters, I wouldn’t have ignored the pleading of the River Zora for quite as long as she did. And, I wouldn’t have tried to use it to Hyrule’s advantage in the way that she did. It’s not very fair to take two struggling peoples and manipulate their misfortunes for Hyrule’s benefit, considering how much more powerful and stable Hyrule was at the time.” Zelda looked thoughtful while he reeled from her words. “You know, I know everyone talks about the past Zelda’s as though they could do no wrong, but… some of them didn’t seem to care very much about people who were not Hylian.”

Ganondorf was rather staggered. “…I know.” He said at length. “They were bitches. Cold, frigid bitches.”

Zelda’s mouth dropped open, and colour rushed into her cheeks. “Excuse me?”

He shrugged. “What? They were. Surely you’ve heard enough about me to know I have firsthand knowledge of their – terribleness.”

She still looked flustered. “Oh… I-” Zelda paused, then started again. “Do you… think I’m as cold as them?”

Ganondorf stared at her. It was a very loaded question. “…No.” He said at last. “I don’t think you are.”

Zelda dropped her gaze to the ground, unexpected pleasure curling through her form. So… Ganondorf didn’t think she was as cold as the other Zelda’s? Interesting.

She smiled up at him. “Well, I’m glad of that. As you said, I’ve heard enough about you to know that I wouldn’t exactly want to be on your bad side.”

That made him laugh. “I’m glad you see sense for once. As a general rule, Courage and Wisdom seem eager to piss me off.”

“Seeing as I have no idea where Courage is in this lifetime, making an enemy of you seems… foolish.”

He chuckled slightly. “Finally, Wisdom actually uses her wisdom. What are the odds?”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Gee, thanks.”

Ganondorf snickered then turned them into the rowan drive. “So, why do you need to apologise, exactly? I don’t care if you weren’t at dinner.”

Zelda frowned a little. “I… don’t know.” She admitted. “Papa sent me a message saying I must. Considering that he told me to stay away from you, and vice versa, I think he must be the one who is ill.”

The Gerudo King raised a brow. “I’ll say. That is… quite odd. I wonder why…?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” She said, then peeked at him. “Unless he’s mentioned something to you…?”

He shook his head. “Nothing beyond what he normally says to me.”

Ganondorf turned to face her, and seeing as she was still on his arm as they walked, it meant they ended up face to face… and very close. Zelda felt herself turning pink as she looked up at him. He looked… very serious, and the slightest bit perturbed as he brought his hand to her face and cupped her cheek gently. Her lips parted as his thumb brushed over her lower lip, and she inhaled on a gasp. Ganondorf started slightly at the sound and dropped his hand.

“I – Princess – I should not have done that.” He said gruffly. Ganondorf spun and walked away, hands curled into fists.

Zelda watched him go in utter confusion. Her fingers came up of her own accord to brush over her lips, and she stood there, feeling rather stunned; he’d touched her intimately, almost like – she blushed to complete the thought – like a lover would. What did _that_ mean?

 

* * *

 

 The following week found her waiting for Ganondorf in what had become their usual spot amongst the roses. While he had been spending an increasing amount of time locked away with her father discussing Goddesses knew what, he always seemed to find time to spend an hour or two just speaking with her. Zelda barely knew what to do with herself; people did not talk to her, not like this, and she found herself anxiously waiting for Ganondorf’s arrival in the gardens each day, counting down the minutes until she could see his fiery hair over the tops of the hedges (he was too large, or the hedges too small, to be concealed by them). She knew, of course, that this was entirely stupid. What if he decided he was bored with their talks and stopped coming? What happened when he went back to the desert? _I’ll be alone again,_ she thought with a sigh. _More alone than ever._

Zelda frowned and stitched another stitch in her embroidery. The one thing they hadn’t discussed… was the way he’d touched her. Oddly enough, she found herself rather wishing that he would do it again. That was… she blushed again. That was not to say she wished for some sort of – of affair, out of wedlock! By the Goddesses, if she thought she was a social pariah now, imagine what it would be like – _no, stop thinking._ She ordered herself. _These are impure thoughts, and are most definitely not suitable._ But… something was blooming here amongst the roses, she was sure of it. Ganondorf was an inherently rather confusing sort of man, and though he was often closed off and hard to interpret… when she smiled at his words, he looked pleased. When they touched – the merest accidental brush of fingers, or perhaps when she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow as they walked, he found an excuse to linger, and more and more, she did too. Butterflies flitted around in her belly at this thought… Zelda could no longer deny she was falling in love with him.

And when he left, it was going to hurt.


	5. A Betrothal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf and Zelda become engaged, much to the surprise of... everybody, really.

Ganondorf was utterly astounded. There had not been many times in his many lives that he had been rendered completely speechless, but this was one of them. He stared at the Hylian King, frowned, opened his mouth to speak then closed it again. After another long second, he held up one finger and tried to speak again.

“Er… could you repeat that?” He asked. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”

A smug grin twitched at the corners of King Harkinian’s mouth. “But of course. What I was saying, was that I wish you to marry my daughter.”

Ganondorf stared at the man, convinced he’d lost his mind. “There are many things I could say in response to that.” He said, regaining his composure. “But I think I’ll lead with _‘why?’_ ”

The shadow of a grimace crossed Harkinian’s face. “I’ll not pay you the discourtesy of assuming you haven’t noticed the discordance between myself and the princess.”

The Gerudo inclined his head.

“So I want her out of Hyrule. I am sick of having my court tiptoeing around the tension she causes just by merely existing. I could execute her myself, but I dare say that would cause more tension in my court, so I have, for the moment, refrained from doing so.”

Ganondorf raised a brow but said nothing.

Harkinian’s grin became cruel. “She’s a soft girl, a delicate little thing. She won’t survive long in the desert. I know you despise her, so this way, you can have Wisdom at your disposal, for whatever you wish.”

“You don’t want her to survive.” He stated flatly.

“No. I intend to raise her cousin as heir. You can have her, with the expectation that she doesn’t last longer than a few months.”

…This King was truly pathetic.

“And the peace treaty?” Ganondorf asked.

Harkinian spread his hands in what was supposed to be a calming gesture. “A marriage between my daughter and yourself will only strengthen the treaty, or at least, that’s the excuse we will give the general public. Zelda’s _tragic_ death only a few short months into your marriage won’t harm it. In doing this I myself hope to secure your good will – in delivering Wisdom into your hands, you’ll leave Hyrule alone. You’ll have her piece of the Triforce, and as Courage isn’t here, you have little reason to bother us, and we you.”

Harkinian looked entirely too pleased with himself.

“So… does the princess know of this little plan? _Marriage?”_ Ganondorf asked, spitting the last word like it was a curse.

“She does not. She’ll only know if you accept my proposition.”

Rubbing his chin absentmindedly, Ganondorf considered things carefully. It was true this would get him Wisdom – though it would be interesting to gain her through peace (and underhanded political plots) rather than through force. It was equally true, however, that he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted her dead. At the moment, anyway. But… Harkinian was entirely mistaken if he thought that Wisdom alone would slake his lust for Power. No, he still wanted Hyrule… and maybe now it would be easier to get it. The seeds of an idea began to formulate in his mind, and slowly, his most sharklike grin spread across his features, making Harkinian’s own smile slip a bit.

“King Harkinian.” He began. “You have yourself a deal.”

Once the meeting was over, Ganondorf went looking for Zelda. He’d insisted on being the one to tell the Princess, citing the fact that he wanted to see the look on her face when she discovered her future. Harkinian, completely fooled, wholeheartedly approved the idea, and Ganondorf left the room with his fists clenched, itching to go back and slug the man into the next century.

He wondered how his sisters would take it – they’d be confused and also probably offended. He wondered how Zelda would take it – she was such an enigma he couldn’t even guess. Ganondorf founded her eventually in the rose gardens – she seemed to spend a lot of time in this far away corner of the gardens, and no wonder – not many people went there, so she could spend time alone.

“Princess.”

She looked up. “Sire.” She said, standing and curtseying, such a soft and sweet smile blooming across her features he’d have killed to know what she was thinking.

“Walk with me?” He asked, and she nodded and took his arm.

Zelda smiled to herself, relishing the heat that radiated from Ganondorf’s body as she walked a little closer to him than propriety allowed – today was a cold day.

“I spoke with your father today.” He said, sounding strangely distant.

“Oh?” Zelda replied. “What about, in particular?” Ganondorf kept glancing at her, his expression odd. What had her father said to throw him so far out of spirits?

“He told me who you are to marry.”

Zelda’s whole world stopped spinning for a moment, and then her heart broke. “Oh.” She said faintly, trying to keep the anguish from her tone. Something told her she didn’t succeed.

Ganondorf looked down at her. “You don’t want to be married?”

She sighed and tried to cover up her feelings. “I’ve always dreaded it. Married off to one of the awful little men under Papa’s thumb? At least in the castle I can hide, I can lose myself in the rooms and the gardens and not speak to anyone.” She was silent for a moment. “Who is it? I want to prepare myself. Some oily little rodent who’ll shut me up in his greasy little house and I’ll have even less freedom then I do now. But, you know… I think I’d marry a kitchen tile if it got me out from under Papa. So, if you please. Who is it?”

He was quiet for a moment. “Me.”

 _What?_ Zelda stopped walking and stared at him, one hand at her throat. “You?”

Ganondorf swung her around so they were standing very close once more. They were in a corner formed by the hedges and entirely alone.

“Me.” He confirmed.

Zelda frowned, trying to be rational as she ignored the warmth and pure delight flooding through her. “I don’t understand. Why would Papa agree to that?”

Ganondorf’s lips hitched up into a grin. “You assume that I asked for your hand? It was Harkinian’s idea; he all but threw you at me.”

“Why?” She whispered. “Papa doesn’t like you much, why would he want you to marry me?”

Ganondorf shrugged, and again she noticed just how very massive he was. “He proposed it as a way of improving peace between our Kingdoms. Also, he doesn’t exactly want you around, so… it’s something of a win-win situation for him.”

Zelda frowned harder. “But… if you were inclined to be cruel… Papa would be handing you Wisdom on a silver platter. Without Courage in Hyrule… you could conquer us with barely any difficulty.”

As she watched, a cruel grin lit his features. “I came to that conclusion myself while Harkinian was outlining the plan. I believe… he has deluded himself into thinking that once I have Wisdom, I will be content with her.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.” She whispered. Despite her feelings towards him, Zelda was able to look at this in a rational manner. He was kind to her… but he wasn’t kind to everyone else, and she knew that associating with him brought certain… risks. In the past, he’d committed literal genocide, and that made her feel… conflicted. Ganondorf completely rearranged his features as he brushed his fingers over her cheek, making her shiver. Now he looked very sincere.

“I wasn’t lying when I have told you that I object to your treatment here. Gerudo do not believe in marriage but if this grants me possession of the Triforce of Wisdom _and_ lets me control your fate, then I am rather disposed to find it… an agreeable plan.”

Zelda frowned up at him. This was turning out to sound less like an escape from her father and more like being thrown to something far more dangerous, despite what her heart yearned for.

“But…” Ganondorf continued. “Those are not my only motives.” Golden eyes bored into hers, and Zelda swallowed hard as he stepped closer, sliding an arm around her waist and holding her flush against him. “You’re an attractive woman, Zelda. More than that… you have an attractive mind, too, one that’s locked inside a puzzle, and I want to figure you out.”

“So… you want to marry me? _Really_ want? You’re not just going along with Papa’s plan?” Zelda whispered, her fingers coming up to rest on his arms, digging lightly into the fabric of his robes, trying very hard to ignore the feel of him pressed against her body.

That smirk reappeared. “Yes and no. I don’t particularly want to marry you because I do not care for marriage. However… I do want to keep you for myself… so your father’s plan is quite welcome, in an unexpected sort of way.”

Her breath came faster. He wanted to _keep_ her? Did he really? Oh, how could it be true? She wanted so much to believe it wasn’t a plot, to believe that someone wanted her.

“And you?” He asked quietly, pulling her a little closer. Zelda’s breath was short now; she’d never been this close to a man in her life, and it was a little overwhelming. “Do you object to becoming my wife?”

Zelda considered. She could see some obvious drawbacks to the idea but… marrying Ganondorf would get her away from her father, and he had been kind to her, in his fairly abrasive sort of way. And… she was attracted to him. He was a very good-looking man, in a very foreign sort of way, and… peace would surely be secured with their union. _And I love him. I think._ She took a deep breath, and decided to agree.

Zelda shook her head slightly. “No, I don’t object. At least, I don’t think I do.” She said faintly, feeling nervous. Ganondorf was _very_ close.

He grinned, and then brushed her hair back over her shoulder. “Would you mind if I kissed you?”

Ganondorf waited for Zelda’s answer, noting the way she inhaled, her lips parted in a very unconsciously alluring way. Her eyes searched his face, and then, quite hesitantly, she shook her head.

She was like a skittish little lamb, a flighty mare that would spook at any sudden movement, completely unexperienced. Very slowly, he leaned in, trying to tell her with his eyes what he was about to do, and kissed her gently. Her lips were soft and sweet, and for a moment he let himself get lost in them. It was clear she had no idea what she was doing, but it was also clear that she was not unwilling. Zelda managed to be enthusiastic and hesitant at the same time, and Ganondorf was having a hard time restraining himself from deepening the kiss.

He broke the kiss to see her reaction, and grinned at the very content look on her face. Slowly, those deep blue eyes fluttered open, and Zelda smiled up at him. Then, a slightly worried expression entered her eyes.

“If I marry you… I’d go to the desert?” She asked softly.

Ganondorf nodded. “That’s the general idea.”

Zelda looked a little sad as she looked around. “I’ve not been happy here, that’s true, but it is still my home, my Kingdom. It is… strange to think I won’t see it again.”

Wary of any eavesdroppers, Ganondorf ducked down to whisper softly in her ear. “Oh, you’ll see it again. I don’t intend to keep you as some sort of prisoner in the dunes, Princess. You’ll see your home. That, I guarantee.”

She inhaled on a gasp, then turned in his grasp and kissed his cheek, much to Ganondorf’s surprise. “Thank you.” She said warmly, and then, quite unable to help himself, Ganondorf kissed her again. This time, Zelda was a little more confident, and she slid her hands to his shoulders. He took that as his cue to lift her from her feet so he could straighten up, swallowing her gasp of surprise as he growled against her lips.

Zelda was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Ganondorf had her crushed against his chest, one hand tangled in her hair, the other on her backside for support. It was scandalous behaviour, him kissing her like this in full view of anyone who came around the hedges. Still, she found she didn’t really want to stop, tightening her grip in his hair as she pushed herself closer, a breathy sort of moan on her lips, which made him growl against her mouth. The noise sent sparks of excitement rippling under her skin, and for a moment she forgot her confusion at having involuntarily made a noise in the surprising pleasure that merely kissing him brought her. His tongue darted out to touch hers and she pulled back slightly with a confused noise in the back of her throat. Ganondorf’s eyes were dark now, his lips barely an inch from hers as he whispered to her.

“Too much?” He asked softly, and Zelda licked her lips unconsciously, quite unaware of the effect she was having on him.

“Um…” She said, unsure of what to say, and Ganondorf nodded as he lowered her back to her feet, straightening the rumpled folds of her gown as he did so.

“Come with me.” He said, placing her hand in the crook of his elbow. “I’ll escort you back to the castle. I must speak with your father anyway.”  
Zelda looked up. “Oh?”

“Yes, you see… I have to tell him the marriage will take place after all. If you had refused me, I’d have refused you. I’ll not force a woman.”

She smiled. “I am glad of that, at least. People tell many terrible stories about you; I’m pleased you may just turn out to be an honourable man after all.”

Ganondorf snorted. “What, simply not raping a woman makes a man honourable? Why should something that ought to be common sense elevate a man to a higher standing?”

Her smile faded a fraction. “You’re right, of course, but I’m afraid many men here don’t agree. Particularly when it comes to foreign women.”

Ganondorf glared at a passing rose bush. “No.” He said, voice ugly. “They certainly don’t.”

Zelda was silent for a moment, lowering her gaze as they passed out of the relative privacy of the hedges and into an expanse of lawn as everyone in the vicinity stopped to stare at the sight of the Hylian Princess on the arm of the Gerudo King. For his part, Ganondorf seemed completely at ease.

“Are you engaged tonight?”

“I think I am _engaged_ all nights.” She said with a laugh, and Ganondorf chuckled slightly.

“I meant, are you busy this evening?”

“No, but why, particularly?”

He looked a little thoughtful. “I’m going to break the news to my sisters once I’ve spoken to your father. I want you to meet me in the library this evening, after dinner. You understand that marriage is not something a Gerudo enters into lightly… I want to make my terms clear.”

“Of course. I will gladly meet with you.”

Ganondorf left Zelda in the Great Hall and continued on to the throne room, where he found Harkinian deep in conversation with one of his tails. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he recognised the man, but said nothing to give away the fact that he knew.

The man bowed to his King and scurried out the door, refusing to make eye contact. Ganondorf stood as tall as he could, trying to appear intimidating as Harkinian stood.

“Well?” the Hylian King said, dispensing with curtsey.

“The Princess has accepted.” Ganondorf noticed the slight narrowing of Harkinian’s eyes and hurried to amend his statement. “At least, with a good a grace as she can muster. She’s been trained well; hopefully her obedience will continue after we marry.”

“I should think it will.” Replied Harkinian, looking more at ease now he thought Zelda hadn’t had a hand in the decision. “She’s always been easily moulded; a hard word and any disobedience she has simply melts away.”

“I have seen it to be so, and I am pleased with it. There is no room for insubordination in the desert.”

Ganondorf waited a moment to assess Harkinian’ thoughts; he steamed ahead with his plan.

“I have already arranged to meet with the Princess this evening in the library.” He said, ignoring Harkinian’s suspicious glance. “As a Gerudo, marriage is not a common thing… I intend to lay out my terms to her and let her know her place. Life in the desert will be very different to the one she has lived here.” He paused for a moment before he delivered the most important line. “Even if she won’t live there for any long period of time, it is important to sell the story, wouldn’t you agree?”

The Hylian King was clearly pleased by this, very pleased.

“I’ll not deny that I am overjoyed at the way things have turned out.” Said the little King. “Finally, a way to rid myself of the girl that makes everyone look perfectly respectable.”

Ganondorf had been on the verge of asking why the King disliked his daughter so, but decided against it. The King’s fate was sealed; no words could change it now.

“Indeed.” He said darkly. “It won’t be hard to point her in the wrong direction amongst the dunes, or some other such thing. Frankly, I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t melt.”

Harkinian looked pleased. “Well, the more discomfort, the better.” He held out his hand, and Ganondorf swallowed his mistrust and shook it. “Here’s to a glorious new age of peace and prosperity.”

“Yes.” Ganondorf said. “ _Peace_.”

Harkinian missed the inflection placed on the word _peace_ , and waved a careless hand. “If you’re done, I’ll call in my men and arrange the engagement announcement.” He leaned forwards, a hard look on his round face. “I do have one request; that the ceremony and consummation happen here in Hyrule. I don’t wish to offend, but I know the Gerudo do not have proper marriage rites between men and women, and I want things to be proper; legal, binding, and without fault.”

Ganondorf inclined his head, feeling irritated, but he decided to agree; disagreeing would only cause trouble, and he wanted to be out of Hyrule as soon as possible. That brought him to another point. “That is perfectly acceptable. As you said, I’ve very little experience with marriage; how long does the engagement typically last? When will the ceremony take place?”

Harkinian stroked his chin. “It is not uncommon for couples to be engaged for a year or two, but you… you and your – _sisters_ – leave Hyrule in a fortnight… I suggest the ceremony be held a week from now.”

He raised a brow. “A week long engagement instead of a year? Will that not raise any questions?”

“Not if the importance of you returning to your people is emphasised in the announcement.” Said Harkinian firmly. “Now… is that all?”

Fighting his displeasure, Ganondorf nodded curtly and strode from the room. Now, he just had to wait for this evening, when he would speak with Zelda again. No… there was something else to attend to first.

* * *

“You’re getting _married_?” Sororu blinked owlishly. “Really?”

“To the Princess?” Jemila looked sceptical. “ _Wisdom?”_

Eseri folded her arms. “You don’t _want_ to, do you?”

Ganondorf barely refrained from rolling his eyes. “No, I don’t particularly want to marry her, but Harkinian is handing me Wisdom on a silver platter. I’m not about to give up on this opportunity.”

“But – marriage?”

He actually did roll his eyes this time, and sank down in a chair. “Listen. I have a plan worked out, and yes, I did have to modify it heavily when Harkinian up and threw his daughter at me, but it works out better this way. Well-” He amended, scratching his chin. “-If not better, precisely, it’s certainly easier.”

“What’s the plan?” Asked Noribi.

Ganondorf thought for a moment. “You’ll understand if I don’t wish to speak these plans out loud here. While I don’t think Harkinian’s spies understand Gerudo, you can’t be too careful in enemy territory.”

They all nodded in agreement.

“But you’ll tell us once we’re home?” Demanded Jaroobi.

Ganondorf grinned at her. “Of course. After all, you’re all part of the plan.”

“All of us?”

“All.”

* * *

Zelda departed for the library roughly half an hour after the evening meal, and arrived to find it empty. To pass the time, she sat down with a book. Roughly fifteen minutes later, footsteps alerted her to a presence. Smiling, she went to stand up, but a curt gesture from Ganondorf stopped her. He didn’t look pleased, and her smile faded as she wondered what was wrong.

“Reading again, Princess?” He asked, his voice indifferent.

Zelda frowned, wondering what was going on. “Yes, Sire.”

“Show me.” Ganondorf did not ask, merely demanded, and Zelda put the book into his hand, feeling very discomforted. He gave a cursory glance at the title, then examined the page she’d been reading and gave it back, spinning on his heel to move towards another chair.

Zelda was feeling more and more uncomfortable by the second, until she looked down at her book and noticed the piece of paper he’d slipped inside. _Well_. Ganondorf had clearly gone to some lengths to ensure he’d given it to her in secrecy; she would open it in secrecy.

Swiftly unfolding the paper while hidden by the book, she scanned the words.

 

_I had hoped to talk properly, but your father’s spies are here tonight. Act like you’re afraid of me. It’s what Harkinian expects._

 

Zelda tucked the paper inside the book – it would have to be burnt later – and tried to tell Ganondorf with her eyes that she understood.

“So.” Ganondorf began, sinking down in a chair. “First order of business to discuss tonight will be your living arrangements in the desert. It is my understanding that a married couple reside together, correct?”

Zelda nodded. “It is, Sire.”

He nodded. “You will have a set of chambers adjacent to mine; I think it wise that you stick to them. The desert is a hazardous place if you don’t know what you’re doing, and I will expect you to follow my commands. If not, you may find yourself in a perilous situation.”

She did _not_ like this gruff, unfeeling Ganondorf. “I understand, Sire.” She said quietly. “I will obey your instructions.”

“Good.” Ganondorf regarded her carefully. “You’ll need to be fitted for a new wardrobe once you reach the desert; you’ll have to make do with borrowing some clothing for a few days.” Seeing her confused look, he elaborated. “Hylian gowns are completely unsuitable for life in the desert. You’ll pass out in an hour or two if you insist on wearing a corset, and a dress is not practical for crossing the dunes. You’ll wear Gerudo clothing – trousers and a top.”

Zelda’s eyes widened. She foolishly hadn’t considered that aspect. “Very – very well.” She managed.

He grinned slightly, the merest upturn of the mouth, and then he remembered himself and turned stern again. Zelda felt comforted by that slight smile – it was proof that the kinder man existed still.

“May I ask you something?” She began hesitantly. When Ganondorf nodded curtly, she continued. “What exactly will I do, in the desert? I know that all the Gerudo work…”

“Ah.” Ganondorf nodded. “You will work too. There is no place amongst the tribes for someone who doesn’t pull her weight; but you needn’t fear. You won’t be thrown into manual labour headfirst. It’s likely you’ll do something in the food stores, or… perhaps... you are an educated woman, you can give the young one’s lessons.”

She smiled slightly. “That seems fair.”

Ganondorf leaned back in his chair, steepling his features. “King Harkinian has requested that the ceremony be held in Hyrule. Therefore, it will be next week.”

 _“Next week?”_ She gasped.

That half grin was back. “Do you object?” There was a dangerous quality to his voice, and she backtracked.

“No, Sire – that is, I was merely surprised. I expected our engagement to be longer.” She paused for a moment. “I presume that it is due to the fact that you would be needed in the desert shortly?”

“You presume correctly. We will leave Hyrule a sennight following the ceremony.”

Zelda nodded but said nothing, and eventually Ganondorf spoke again.

“You will do very well not to go poking around, Princess. I will tell you exactly which places within the fortress are off limits, and you _will_ obey me.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“One last thing… the consummation of our marriage.”

Zelda turned bright red and looked at her toes.

Ganondorf continued. “You will come to my chambers immediately following the ceremony.”

Zelda nodded, but couldn’t lift her gaze. “Yes, Sire.” She said softly.

Ganondorf stood and made his way over to the Princess where she sat, blushing and staring at the ground.

“I think that’s all.” He said gruffly, feeling supremely irritated at the spies who’d prevented him from speaking to her properly. In hindsight, telling the King he intended to speak to Zelda may not have been the wisest decision. Holding out an arm, Ganondorf waited for Zelda to stand and take it; he saw her slip his note into her pocket before she placed her book back on the shelf and took his arm. She was still very red and wouldn’t meet his gaze.

They walked out of the library in silence, Ganondorf assessing the locations of the spies. As he led her down the corridors, he waited for the perfect moment; _now_. He pulled her around a corner and in the brief window that the spies were scurrying to catch up, he called his magic and warped to Zelda’s bedchamber.

She stumbled in her shock and he wrapped an arm around her waist. Zelda’s bedchamber was one of the few places in the castle that were not watched; he wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe it was for her privacy, maybe it was because she never did anything of interest when alone, so they didn’t bother spying on her here. In any case, it was the perfect place to speak to her.

“Finally.” He murmured. “I can speak to you properly.”

“How do you know?” She whispered back, still flushing pink.

“Magic. I have certain methods to alert me of any concealed presences, and for whatever reason, your bedchamber is not spied upon.”

At the word _bedchamber_ , she blushed again and snuck her bed a look, which drew his gaze. Ganondorf leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Some of what I said tonight was harsher than the reality, for the benefit of the spies. Your father is intent on punishing you; I thought it would be wise to make it seem as though you will be miserable with me.”

Zelda nodded and looked relieved, her fingers clenched in the fabric of his robes. “Which parts?” She asked, and he picked her up, carrying her over to her window seat and sitting down – it was probably the only thing in the room that would support his weight.

“Well… there will be area’s that are off limits, but that is more to do with your safety, Princess. The desert is a dangerous place.”

Zelda nodded from where she was curled up on his lap. She had her head resting on his chest, and it was making him feel very protective of her. This small delicate creature had been without any sort of comfort, protection or even kindness for years. No doubt about it – he was _very_ pleased with the idea of taking her away from this miserable place.

“Also…” he murmured, stroking her hair. “I may have given you the impression that you and I will have separate living quarters. That is wrong.”

Zelda lifted her head to stare at him, her cheeks turning pink again. “Then… what?” She whispered.

“We will share.” He growled into her ear, enjoying the shiver that passed over the skin, the breathy gasp she let out. “I doubt very much whether I will want to let you out of my bed for some time to come.”

He smirked; she’d never been redder.

“Oh.” Zelda whispered, looking rather uncomfortable. “I-um-”

Ganondorf chuckled slightly. “May I kiss you, Zelda?”

She hesitated, but at length she nodded and smiled slightly, and he pulled her up until he could take her lips. Her soft, pink lips, so pliant, so easily moulded around his own. He groaned and touched a hand to her hair, sinking his fingers into the golden strands. He felt momentarily surprised that he was acting… like this… around her, but he figured it was down to the intensity between Power, Wisdom and Courage. If he hated them, he despised them, but now… he was disposed to _like_ Wisdom… and so he was drawn to her not in hatred, but in lo- _NO_ , he shouted at himself. _Lust_. He felt an intense _lust_ for her, for her body and her mind. That was it.

Zelda moaned quietly, turning in his grasp so she could press herself firmly against him, her hands sliding into his hair, and he growled against her mouth. And then she pulled back, much to his dismay.

“This isn’t proper.” She said quietly, and he had to agree. Zelda was astride him, arms around his neck, her breasts firm against his chest. “We’re in my _bedchamber_.” She continued. “You should go.”

Ganondorf nodded, sensing the importance of not spooking her. Taking her hand, he brushed his lips over her knuckles slowly, then stood up with Zelda in his arms, setting her on her feet before he brushed her hair back and smirked, feeling quite pleased at how things were turning out.

“Then I shall see you tomorrow, Zelda.” He murmured, then warped back to his chambers.

* * *

 And see her he did. A message was delivered to Zelda’s chambers in the morning, informing her that there would be an engagement feast held that night – she supposed her father was hurrying things along a bit, due to the wedding being in a mere number of days.

“Oh dear.” She whispered to herself. “Wedding.”

She had to marry Ganondorf Dragmire, the Demon King. The way he'd kissed her swam to the front of her mind, and she swallowed hard. He obviously intended to bed her... nerves sprang up in her belly, making her hands tremble, and she went to her washbasin and splashed cooling water on her face to calm herself down and think. Nodding decidedly, she went to her jewellery box and opened it, seeking the hidden latch that opened the secret compartment from which she pulled Hylia’s soul gem. Zelda could use some advice right about now.

Sitting down on her chaise lounge, Zelda held the sapphire in her hands and closed her eyes, calling the spirit of the Goddess to her. Opening her eyes, she beheld the Goddess floating before her, as golden and indistinct as ever.

_The Demon King is still in Hyrule_

Zelda barely refrained from rolling her eyes. Of course Hylia would lead with that.

“I know he is.” She said quietly.

_You must rid your kingdom of him_

Zelda steeled herself. “I can’t.”

_You can if you would only use your light_

“I’m going to marry him.”

Silence.

She peeked up at the Goddess, whose aura was darkening in her obvious displeasure.

_Explain yourself_

Zelda nodded. “My father has arranged the marriage. The Demon King as agreed to peace should we join lands and legacy.”

_And you believe him?_

She licked her lips nervously. “He’s shown me no reason not to.”

_Then you are a fool_

“Your opinion of this matters just as much as mine, Hylia – that is, it doesn’t. I can’t contest this! My father would have a coronary, Ganondorf would be highly offended, probably… I don’t know what to do.”

_Kill them both_

Zelda froze. “…Both?”

_That way your rule is secured. You are of my blood, Zelda. You are my mortal form. You and you alone are fit to rule the land of Hyrule_

She pursed her lips. “I know I am. But… how? Even if I were inclined to do such a thing, you must realise I have no magic. My father has done all he can to stunt my education, to prevent me from taking up the mantle that has been left to me. There are even rumours he plans to disinherit me altogether.”

 _Disinherit?_ Hylia’s tone was sharp now. _In favour of whom?_

Zelda shrugged helplessly. “I’ve no idea. A cousin, most probably. My mother’s sister was Queen of Calatia, and she had four sons. Perhaps one of the younger will be my father’s heir.”

The Goddess seemed contemplative now. _Then what are your options?_

“I must marry the Demon King.” Zelda said heavily. “Besides… it may not be so bad as all that. He… has not been unpleasant to me, and I won’t have to be near my father.”

_And waste your life in the desert?_

Now came the crux. “Ganondorf told me I would see my home again.” She whispered. “I think he’s plotting something.”

Hylia swooped closer, alarm radiating off her form. _He means to harm you?_

“If he did, why tell me?” Zelda shook her head. “No, I don’t know what it is, but… I do know it is preferable to being married off to some Hylian noble who’ll use me as breeding stock. Ganondorf at least respects the Triforce – he respects me as a bearer. I can live with that.”

The Goddess seemed to agree. _Then I wish you well_

“Thank you.” Zelda broke the connection with the spirit stone and hastened to conceal it within her jewellery box once more. Hylia had given her some interesting things to think of – like her suggestion that she kill her father. Like it or not, Zelda found the idea had merit.

A frown on her face as she mulled things over, she called her maid to inform her of the engagement party – she had best look the part.

* * *

Ganondorf downed the rest of his wine in one go and glowered at the roaring fireplace, ignoring the footman who instantly darted to his side and refilled the glass. Apparently, none of the nobles who’d been invited knew the reason, and were all preening to have been summoned for such a private, intimate affair with the King. There were to his count only twenty Hylians in the room, discounting Harkinian – and Zelda wasn't there. He wondered where she was. It was her engagement dinner too, surely she didn’t get to skip.

“How long is this going to last?” Murmured Jaroobi, and he shrugged.

“Be happy I got you an invitation.” He replied, making her roll her eyes.

“Gee, thanks _so_ much.” She said dryly, and Ganondorf snorted.

“If I have to suffer through this, you do too.”

They were all tucked into an ante-chamber of some sort, drinking wine and talking amongst one another while they waited for Gods knew what, whereupon they would retire to the dining hall and feast in celebration. A foolish waste of time, in his opinion.

At that moment, he was saved further grumblings as a footman stepped forwards to indicate a new arrival, drawing the attention of most people in the room.

“The Princess Zelda.” He announced, then turned to draw open the large double doors, bow until his nose touched his knees, and step aside for the princess.

She looked beautiful.

Ganondorf furrowed his brow as he took another sip of his wine and examined his future bride carefully. She’d clearly dressed for the occasion, wearing a golden gown that left far more of her shoulders and décolletage bare then he was used to, her hair curled and piled softly atop her head. He watched along with everyone else as Zelda advanced a few precise steps into the room, then curtsied to all. As she straightened, her gaze flashed to his, just for a moment.

“Zelda, my dear. Come here.”

Ganondorf grinned into his glass at the slightly wary look on her face at this warm address from her father. Nevertheless, she went and stood beside Harkinian, gloved hands clasped lightly in front of her.

“I’ve called you all here tonight for a very special reason.” Harkinian began, making all the lords and ladies in the room preen at being selected to attend. “The reason being to announce the engagement of my daughter.” Really, it was a good thing the King paused here, because he’d have certainly been drowned out by the sheer amount of gasps echoing through the room. Ganondorf almost chuckled at the look on Lord Korvun’s face – a comical mix of shock that the princess was engaged, horror that she wasn’t engaged to _him_ , and yet a slight amount of hope that maybe she was. Harkinian grinned and continued. “As I was saying, this marriage is an opportunity to join together two lands which have in the past, _quarrelled_ , to put it delicately-” Ganondorf nearly choked on his drink. _Quarrelled?_ What a nice explanation of things. Beside him, Jaroobi’s brow was in danger of getting lost in her hair. “- But now we can safely move into a new era of peace as Hyrule becomes one… with the Gerudo.”

The sheer amount of horrified gazes that suddenly swung in his direction nearly made him laugh. Instead, Ganondorf raised both a brow and his glass in the cockiest fashion he could muster, and smirked at them instead. Beside him, Jaroobi was giving off a distinct air of being ready to fight.

Zelda still looked perfectly serene, but he detected a slight blush to her cheeks as everyone in the room looked incredulously between them.

“Owing to King Ganondorf’s responsibilities in the desert, the ceremony will take place in exactly a sennight, allowing him to return as scheduled to the desert.” Harkinian smiled a very slimy smug smile. “Only now he will have an _addition_.”

* * *

Dinner was dragging. Zelda took a sip of her wine then peeked up at Ganondorf out of the corner of her eye – he was seated to her left, and he looked supremely unaffected by anything. Zelda, however, was a bundle of nerves. Everyone was looking at her, whispering about her, the lords frowning at the loss of any political unions they might have gained by her hand, the ladies gossiping behind their fans at her misfortune.

And it was viewed as a misfortune, her impending marriage. Zelda could tell that much.

She bit her lower lip for a moment, then turned back to her plate and took another mouthful of food – fish. She hated white fish, and yet it seemed to always be the star of one of the many courses. Still, she couldn’t just ignore the food on the plate altogether, and had to take small mouthfuls occasionally. It was times like this she was glad women in tight corsets weren’t expected to eat much at formal meals.

The fish course was eventually removed, and Zelda reflected on the fact that for three courses now, she’d not been spoken to by anybody. She just had to sit here in silence – at her own engagement party too.

Ganondorf was now locked in conversation with Jaroobi, who was up to her elbows in finely shaved lamb roast, and Zelda snuck a peek at the person to her right, wondering if they might enter into conversation and save her from boredom. Unfortunately for her, she’d been placed next to Lord Erronton, an elderly bore who was more likely to nod off in the middle of dinner than stay awake. Like he was now, snoring gently into his elaborate cravat. Zelda twisted her lips up in irritation and turned back to her meal, lifting a single piece of mushroom to her mouth and chewing it slowly.

Finally, _finally_ , the meal finished, and Harkinian rose to signal it. Zelda almost sighed in relief as she rose along with the rest of the table, and then they all retired to the green reception room. There, Zelda took a cup of tea and sat down in an unobtrusive chair to wait out the after dinner conversations. After half an hour, however, Lady Morton came over and sat in the chair beside her.

Zelda smiled at the woman as she engaged her in conversation – _finally_.

“Good evening, Princess.”

“And to you, my Lady.” Zelda replied. “I hope you have had an enjoyable one.”

Lady Merton tittered and snapped open her fan. “Oh, yes, dinner was most enjoyable, most enjoyable indeed. May I offer my congratulations on your engagement?”

Zelda smiled. “Thank you.”

They both looked to where Ganondorf was standing on the other side of the room, nursing scotch and deep in conversation with his second.

“And what are your thoughts on your impending nuptials?” Lady Merton was all wide-eyed innocence, but Zelda knew what she wanted – gossip.

“I am – apprehensive, you might say.” She said quietly. “Who wouldn’t be?”

Merton nodded fervently, lowering her voice. “Indeed – to be married to that _barbarian_ – you poor dear.”

Zelda managed a tight smile. “I appreciate your concern, my Lady, but as I’ve no choice in the matter… I suppose I must resign myself, and hope that he continues to be at least civil.”

Fluttering her fan seriously, Merton shot Ganondorf another brief look. “For your sake, I hope so too.”

Zelda smiled vacantly as the woman stood up, departing back to her friends, and thought hard. At least Lady Merton felt some sympathy towards her situation, unless she was pretending in order to glean some gossip from her.

Standing and moving over to the tea table to refill her cup, Zelda passed Lord Korvun, who touched her arm gently on her way back to her chair, forcing her to stop. She eyed him sceptically – ever since he’d tried to kiss her and gotten her humiliated before the entire court, she’d not looked upon him with any sort of favour.

“Princess.” He said in greeting, looking a little irritated.

“My Lord.” Zelda said, dipping her head slightly.

“So you’re to be married.” He said, his face tightening with disapproval.

“Yes.” Zelda forced a smile to her face. “I hope you will attend the wedding?”

Korvun wrinkled his nose. “I will.”

Zelda considered for a moment, then leaned in a fraction. “You know this is not my choice.” She murmured. Well, it was technically true – he didn’t have to know that she was sort of looking forwards to her marriage despite it all.

He nodded. “Of course. How could it be? My felicitations – and my deepest sympathies.”

“Thank you.” She whispered, touching his wrist lightly, then moved on, missing the way Ganondorf was frowning at the exchange from across the room.


	6. Marriage Rites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is the big day, where Zelda is married to Ganondorf. 
> 
> Contains a NSFW scene!

Zelda was nervous. Of course, she suspected every bride was nervous on her wedding day, but this was a wedding a little out of the ordinary. She was… quite happy to be marrying Ganondorf, _very_ happy for him be the avenue that got her away from this wretched life, but everyone expected their union to be miserable, that she would not wish to marry the Gerudo King. What a strange wedding day. Wedding _afternoon_ , she corrected herself. The ceremony was to be held at five, partly so she had all day to prepare, and partly so the guests could move straight to a magnificent feast – of which she and her husband would not be in attendance. Rather than be forced to flit around her reception, it had been decided that following the marriage, she would head straight to Ganondorf’s quarters. Her hands shook just to think about it.

She had a part to play – she had to plainly show that this marriage was distasteful to her, that she didn’t really want it, and yet, she had to seem enthusiastic enough that Ganondorf would not be insulted. Of course, he was acting too – he had to show his disdain and dislike of her, and yet… a thrill ran through her. He didn’t dislike her. Or at least, she truly hoped that he didn’t. She couldn’t be sure just yet.

She peered at herself in her mirror and smoothed her hands over her hips, eyeing the delicate lace of her gown. Her wedding gown was a marvellous thing, and her seamstress had let it slip that it had been in production for months; whether or not Ganondorf had been her intended when her father had ordered her trousseau was not known to her, but Zelda thought it wise not to question it. Papa hated questions.

The gown was not white, but a delicate shade of ivory silk that clung to her upper body then flared past her hips around a small bustle, creating an elegant silhouette, or so her seamstresses said. Her satin underskirts were trimmed with lace that frothed around her ankles with each step, her feet enclosed first in sheer stockings tied at her thighs with ivory ribbons, then in small satin slippers, richly embroidered with a delicate floral design and enhanced with pearls. In fact, a good deal of her was covered in pearls; the embroidery covering her bodice was encrusted with them, and her neckline – her very _low_ neckline – was edged with them, and rather than any sleeve at all, she had three strands of the small sea jewels sitting just off her shoulders, above her elbow length gloves.

The bareness of her neck and shoulders was partly concealed by her hair; though her long blonde strands had been ruthlessly curled and pinned up, soft ringlets were left to fall across her bare skin, and her veil had been pinned under her diadem to sweep the floor as she walked. This long construction was weightless, and yet was encrusted with delicate embroidery and more pearls; the lavishness of her wedding suite told her just how much money her father had spent. Either he wished to show off his wealth, or pretend that this was a wanted marriage. Zelda chewed her lip briefly, wondering what Ganondorf would wear; as a Gerudo, he surely would not have wedding robes of his own. Had they forced him into Hylian wear? She doubted it.

Her veil was carefully lowered over her face, and several beaming attendants deemed her ready. At their signal, the door was opened to reveal four Hylian guards, whose duty it was to escort her to the Great Hall, whereupon she would take her father’s arm for him to give her away. Zelda was somewhat surprised that Harkinian would, given his dislike of her, but it seemed the King was determined to show no cracks in their façade to the general public – she knew he was already seething with anger over the fact that the marriage was to be held in the castle and not in the Temple of the Goddesses, but Ganondorf had put his foot down and refused to be married in a temple dedicated to those he did not believe in – he wished their marriage to be in a neutral state.

A small smile turned her lips unbidden when two of the guards jaws dropped open to see her. Zelda’s upbringing had ensured she was not vain, but she knew herself to be attractive, and knew that some people considered her to be very beautiful. It was… quite nice, flattering, in fact, to garner such as physical reaction from a man despite doing nothing but existing in his general vicinity. She wondered briefly what Ganondorf’s reaction to her appearance would be; most likely disdain for her frivolity of dress, she decided with a wry smile.

One attendant pressed her bouquet into her hands; a long hanging arrangement of ivory roses and sprigs of baby’s breath that reached almost to her knees, Zelda carefully slid her hands to the grip and held on tightly. The last thing she needed was to drop it in her nervousness and crush the delicate blooms. Other attendants arranged her train and veil so it would not snag when she turned, and then she was moving and taking the offered arm of the Captain of the Guards, who nodded at her.

“Your Highness.” He said with a slight bow, which his guards immediately copied. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, Captain.” Zelda replied. His compliment was not born from friendliness; rather from duty. He did not care.

“I remember when you were a little girl, Highness, and now you are to be married. Time flies, does it not?” He said conversationally, yet his tone was almost bored. “I almost can’t believe it.”

“I can assure you, Captain, that I cannot believe it either.” Zelda accompanied this with a tight smile, the butterflies in her belly multiplying with each step along the corridor.

That was the full sum of any small talk between them for the length of the walk to the doors of the Great Hall, where the additional guards silently melted into the walls with the others, and Captain Ennam placed her hand on her father’s arm, bowed deeply, and joined his men.

Zelda turned to her father with a nervous smile.

“Nervous, are we, my dear?” Harkinian asked with a sickly sweet smile. She was unsurprised he was so jubilant; today was the day he got rid of her.

“A little.” She admitted. After all, the goal was to make everyone thing she didn’t particularly care for the marriage. “I – I have heard such tales about the Gerudo King that I cannot help feeling a little apprehensive about being his bride.”

Zelda did not miss the gleam of cold delight that entered her father’s eye. “I should not worry about it terribly much.” He said smoothly. “You are a Princess. He is a King, and soon you will be his Queen. Savage or not, he must respect that.”

Zelda nodded. “You are right Papa, and… I must thank you for this beautiful trousseau. I must admit I am surprised it was gotten together so _swiftly_. I did not expect such a magnificent suite in so short a time.” This was a lie; she knew her father had planned this.

“A Princess must look her best on her wedding day.” Harkinian said with a grin she couldn’t quite interpret.

Zelda smiled nervously as her belly dropped down to her toes; the music had begun to swell, indicating it was her moment to enter the hall.

“Ready?” Harkinian asked, turning to face the door, where footmen in rich livery stood at attention to pull them open.

“I hope so.” Zelda murmured as the doors swung wide.

Ganondorf was feeling irritable. Harkinian had poked, prodded and cajoled him into having a set of wedding robes made, which he viewed as a waste of time, money and effort. At least he’d succeeded in threatening the tailor into throwing away his plans for a scaled up Hylian wedding suit, and insisted on having Gerudo robes made. Unfortunately, the robes were of Hylian materials and cut (with _tails_ ), and though his chest was bare, he ached to strip to the waist; Hylians, it seemed, were fond of a thick wool-like fabric. To their hands, it would be soft and perfectly serviceable, but to him, who had never had reason to wear wool, and whose skin was accustomed to bare air and silks (these rich fabrics even lined his armour), it itched madly.

His robes fell to his ankles, and rather than be coloured in the deep red he would prefer, they were dark navy, his trousers of a similar hue. His vest was something the tailor apparently could not bring himself to make, and Ganondorf had had to content himself with a silken shirt of ivory colouring that buttoned ( _buttoned!)_ half way down his chest. He wore his own boots, thank the Goddess, and his own crown, but the robes! He stared at his sleeve in distaste, eyeing the almost floral embroidery encrusted on it in gold. It was well done, and beautiful in its own way, but he’d have much preferred to sport the geometric designs of his own people. He’d drawn the line at the intricately tied linen cravat, and wore his shirt halfway open in rebellion of the ridiculous clothing instead.

Ganondorf heard the music change and twitched in anticipation; this was Zelda’s cue. He heard the unanimous gasp from the guests’ mouths as they laid eyes on the princess; it angered him that Hylian custom dictated that the groom would be the last to see the bride. He had half a mind to turn anyway, but resisted; Zelda was not his yet, and he would defer angering Harkinian until she was. Ganondorf gathered that the collective gasp meant one of two things; either Zelda was breathtakingly beautiful in her wedding gown, or she looked like a troll. His money was on the former.

He could hear her footsteps growing closer together with those of King Harkinian. Ganondorf had been informed that once Zelda had completed her walk up the aisle to stand beside him, he had permission to turn and face her, whereupon Harkinian would place her hand in his, and the ceremony would begin.

After what seemed like an age, Zelda’s form appeared in the corner of his eye, shadowy and indistinct, but then, the priest made a subtle signal, and he turned to face her. Ganondorf promptly forgot anything and everything he’d been thinking of.

Zelda fairly glowed in her wedding gown. Mechanically, he held out his hand as her father placed hers in his, and he studied her intently. Her shoulders were bare, revealing ivory skin down to her décolletage – much of which was revealed with her daringly low neckline. He supposed this meant Hylian women went all out on their wedding day. Despite these tantalising hints at her form, she was still mostly concealed beneath her veil; Ganondorf could just barely make out the blue of her eyes beneath the lace and clustered pearls. He wondered how she could even see where she was going.

He squeezed her gloved fingers softly, earning himself a barely visible smile, and then they turned as one to face the priest. Ganondorf found himself tuning out through my of the ceremony, which seemed to involve just standing there while the Hylian man blathered on about the Golden Goddesses for what seemed like eternity. Finally, they got to their vows, which consisted of simply repeating a few sentences of Archaic Hylian back to the priest; Ganondorf knew Archaic Hylian well, having spoken it when it was the dominant language of Hyrule, and so shocked many people with his fluency, which pleased him. Eventually, the priest declared them husband and wife, and they turned, Zelda’s hand still in his, to face the crowd.

He arranged a lazy smirk on his face, peeking down at his bride, whose feelings and expression were undecipherable beneath her veil. In an ordinary wedding, he’d been informed that the groom would lift the veil to kiss the bride; Harkinian had vetoed this on the grounds it would be too uncomfortable for both parties – after all, this was not a love match in the slightest. Ganondorf had agreed with him, for the way he wished to kiss Zelda following their wedding was not at all suitable for any audience.

Zelda clutched her bouquet to her chest as Ganondorf led her back down the aisle, smiling tightly at fear of the unknown – they were married, and now… they must consummate their union. Her knees shook with nerves as he led her out of the Great Hall and into the small ante-chamber beside it. There was no one else in there – Zelda understood it had been arranged to give them a moment of privacy, to adjust to their newly married status – and so Ganondorf could give her instructions regarding her visit to his bed.

Ganondorf shut the door while she stood in the centre of the room and worried the trim of her veil with nervous fingers. He approached her slowly, eyes burning, and then he slowly lifted her veil, revealing her face to him.

His fingers brushed slowly over her cheek, then down her throat to her shoulders, making her shiver. Zelda’s gaze fell to his wedding clothes; biting her lip, her gaze traced over the visible bare flesh of his chest, following the trail of red hair down… her cheeks flushed and she looked away. His robes were of a colour she’d never seen him in before, but she found she rather liked the deep blue on him, and the golden embroidery was the exact shade of his eyes.

“You are quite beautiful.” He murmured, his hand tracing along her low neckline, skimming over her breasts as he did so, making her start and shiver slightly, looking at him with wide eyes.

“You do not look so bad yourself.” She managed, certain her cheeks were scarlet, and the corner of his mouth hitched up in a lopsided grin.

“In Hylian robes?”

Zelda tilted her head. “They are not Hylian. Not really.”

Ganondorf shrugged. “The colour is, and this ridiculous embroidery. They might as well have stuffed me into those hideous tights and be done with it.”

That drew a slight laugh from her throat. “Oh dear. I simply cannot imagine you in tights.”

The Gerudo grinned. “I should think not.” His grin faded as his eyes darkened, his gaze roaming over her form and making her feel very warm. “So I may call you wife now.” He murmured.

“And I might call you husband.” Zelda said softly, taking a deep breath as he took a step forwards. “How very strange.” This prompted a grin from him, all pointed teeth and promise.

“I will give you some little time to compose yourself.” He purred in her ear. “Go back to your chambers, refresh yourself. Come to my chambers soon – I will order dinner and wine. And… keep this on, if you please.” His fingers brushed her neckline again and she shivered.

Zelda nodded tightly, swallowing hard at the very idea. She was attracted to Ganondorf, that much was true, but the act of which she was expected to commence with in just a few short hours was so far outside her realm of knowledge that her nerves threatened to overtake her.

He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Until tonight.” He said, his smile both sincere and mocking as he turned and strode from the room. Zelda took a second to steady herself, then left herself, heading up to her chambers. When she got there, her attendants were there to help her remove her wedding gown, and she had to tell them to leave it on. She removed her veil, however, and had them release her hair from the complicated style, leaving it to wave gently down her back.

Ganondorf milled about aimlessly in his chambers as he waited for the princess’s arrival; he’d ordered a small, intimate meal, which had been delivered and arranged on his small breakfast table a few minutes ago. It was five to seven now, meaning he’d been married for nearly half an hour, and he wandered over to the table, checking that everything was to his specifications. He could find nothing to complain about in that department, so he headed through to his bedchamber, examining the arrangements in there. He’d tidied up, placing his multitude of weapons out of sight, for he knew that Zelda would be nervous enough already without the presence of many sharp blades presence, and knew he was being spied upon, no doubt to offer definitive proof to Harkinian that he had bedded his daughter.

His lips turned up into a grin as he imagined what Zelda’s body would look like; her wedding gown had left nothing and everything to the imagination at the same time. Ganondorf caught sight of himself in the tall full-length mirror hanging on the wall (it was tall enough to show his entire body, a fact which had impressed him considerably when he first arrived). He smirked at himself, wondering what Zelda would look like when she opened the door and beheld him clad in nothing but his trousers, for he’d shucked that ridiculous woollen robe the second he got inside.

Ganondorf moved on and snagged an olive from the dinner selection; just as he slid it into his mouth there came a faltering knock at the door. Swallowing quickly, he moved to answer the door. Pulling it open, he beheld Zelda, still dressed in her wedding gown with a light shawl around her shoulders, eyes downcast, a pink tinge to her cheeks. Ganondorf extended a hand.

“Princess.”

She took his hand and crossed the threshold with a visibly nervous breath. “Sire.”

Grinning, Ganondorf led her further into his sitting rooms. “Are you hungry?”

“A little.” She answered, her voice very quiet.

He wondered then what a Hylian gentleman would do; surely that kind of behaviour would help put her at ease. “May I take your shawl?”

She looked him in the eye then, a small smile on her lips. “Thank you.”

Zelda slid the shawl from her shoulders, leaving her arms bare as she handed it to him, and Ganondorf and turned away to hang it on the coat stand. Turning back, his gaze was instantly drawn to the swell of her breasts; the gown had been cut to show off that particular part of her anatomy to best effect. He felt himself stir slightly and frowned; now was not the time.

Ganondorf offered an arm, which she took, and he led her to the small breakfast parlour, where he sat her down then took his seat opposite. 

“Wine?”

“Please.”

He poured her a generous measure, and then himself, then leaned back in his chair to appraise her.

“Are you nervous, Zelda?” He asked, taking a sip.

Zelda nodded, one hand worrying the end of her long hair. “Yes.” He noted that she’d taken it down from the chignon she’d worn to the ceremony; long and well brushed, her golden waves reached past her waist, and the informal air paired with the excruciatingly formal gown painted a very pretty picture indeed.

“Why?” He asked bluntly; Zelda’s eyes snapped up in shock and she looked confused.

“Why?” The princess looked disconcerted. “I don’t know… because – because I do not know what to expect, I suppose.”

He nodded. “That makes sense.”

They spent a little over an hour sitting there talking, eating a little and drinking a little. Ganondorf could see a clock behind Zelda’s head, and when half past nine chimed, he stood. “Shall we?”

Her smile faded at once, and her hands shook, rattling her teacup in its saucer. She set it down and gripped the edge of the table. “Oh – okay.”

The princess stood and took his offered arm, and he led her through the door into his bedchamber.

Zelda breathed hard, twisting her fingers together as Ganondorf left her standing by the foot of the bed to set his wine glass down on a table.

He came back over and stood before her, and then strong fingers slid beneath her chin and tipped her head back so his lips could claim hers. Zelda forced herself to relax; from his actions thus far, she believed he would treat her gently. She would trust him. Her fingers crept to his shoulders as Ganondorf deepened the kiss, and his tongue slid against hers.

Zelda gasped slightly at the contact, and then again when his hand came to rest on her lower back. Her gasp turned to a squeak of shock and surprise when he left her lips, bent down and scooped her into his arms, her wedding gown frothing around her legs. Zelda was sure she’d never blushed harder when he set her gently on his bed, but then to her surprise, he then walked off towards a pitcher of water.

Ganondorf measured his every movement with slow deliberation, taking every care not to look into the mirror above the water pitcher. He poured out a glass of water and took a sip, conscious of Zelda’s befuddlement emanating like a cloud behind him. He leaned for a moment on the edge of the table until it creaked alarmingly, and then leaned back to stretch. Ganondorf timed the movement carefully as he held the pose for a few long moments, and then snapped forwards, punching clean through the glass before him. Shards flew through the air as his hand closed around the throat of a man and yanked him through into the room. Distantly, he heard Zelda scream as the man hit the stone floor and lay there, stunned. Ganondorf vaulted through the hole in the shattered mirror and seized the other man in the tiny room by the collar, lifting him clean off his feet.

“You go to your King.” He snarled in the man’s face; the Hylian had gone grey. “You tell him I’ll be spied upon no longer.”

The spy nodded frantically, and Ganondorf threw him out of the mirror to fall besides his groggy counterpart. “Take your friend.” He snarled, climbing out of the hollow before he seized both spies by the collar and dragged them to the door, where he threw them both unceremoniously down the corridor.

The conscious spy scrambled to his feet and hauled the other spy up, dragging him roughly down the hall. Ganondorf watched this in satisfaction, and then he slammed the door… and turned to his bed. Zelda was perched with wide eyes, a hand cupped lightly at the base of her throat, her mouth slightly ajar.

“Come here.” He said gruffly, moving around to stand besides her on the bed, cursing King Harkinian and his bloody spies as Zelda remained simply frozen. Reaching out, he scooped her into his arms, and grinned slowly when she pressed herself tightly against his chest, still staring at the shattered mirror. Her many petticoats fluffed out around her knees, making him feel like he was holding a bundle of silken floss.

“How did you know they were there?” She asked in a whisper.

“Magic.” He replied shortly, striding out of his bedchamber and into his sitting room. He could still sense spies in the walls, and knew that despite ridding the walls of two rats, plenty still remained, no doubt enjoying the fact that they were being paid to watch the Princess of Hyrule being bedded. The thought made his lip curl, and then Zelda spoke again.

“What are you doing now?”

“We are going somewhere with a little more privacy.” He said shortly, and without further ado, summoned his magic and warping them to Zelda’s sitting rooms. She gasped and clutched at him as he did so, and Ganondorf smirked at her reactions. He did like the way she seemed to instinctively gravitate towards him.

“So… what now?” Zelda asked, her voice barely audible.

“Now…” He purred, walking towards her bedchamber door and shouldering it open. “I plan to take you for my own.” Ganondorf had found that now he could bed her if he so desired, he desired her very much. She was his wife now, and though he cared little for such concepts, the fact that they were now considered bound together appealed to him very much.

But.

His magic… Ganondorf could sense that while there were no spies here at present, he could tell that there were people approaching. No doubt the spies had informed Harkinian, and the Hylian King was on his way here – he had long since taken note of Harkinian’s magical aura, the better to track the man throughout the castle.

Hmm.

A wicked grin twisted his lips as Ganondorf’s gaze slid to the young woman in his arms – Harkinian would be angry now, very angry. Like any small man with a complex, he’d now be trying to get the upper hand back. He might even try to prevent him from bedding Zelda and annulling the marriage. Well. That certainly wouldn’t do. What better way to _severely_ piss of Harkinian than to bed Zelda so thoroughly there couldn’t be any chance of the Hylians denying that the consummation had taken place? No, he had a feeling that by revealing his knowledge of the spies, he’d rather monumentally fucked up in terms of Harkinian trusting him – but like hell was he going to let his first time with Zelda have an audience.

Turning his attention back to Zelda, he noted that she had turned bright red, and he grinned, setting her down on her feet. Leaning in, he paused. “You’re all right with that?” He asked softly, and Zelda hesitated then nodded.

“Yes.” She breathed, and Ganondorf grinned.

“Some precautions first, I think.” He said, then called his magic to him. Zelda looked both suspicious and wary as his hands glowed with magic, and he put up a privacy sphere. Only, she didn’t know that.

“What are you doing?” She asked cautiously, scooting back a fraction.

“Do you remember that time when I put us in a bubble so no one could hear us?” He said, moving forwards and taking her hands. “Well, we’re in a bigger bubble now.” Ganondorf neglected to mention that while no one could hear them… Zelda also couldn’t hear her father if he came to collect her. “Do you have a key to your chambers?” He inquired. “I don’t fancy any interruptions.”

Zelda looked slightly more wary. “Do you think there will be?”

He lied through his teeth. “No, I don’t think so. It’s… just a precaution.”

She nodded, though she didn’t look entirely convinced. “I am not permitted the luxury of being able to lock my rooms, I’m afraid.”

“No matter.” Said Ganondorf, squeezing her fingers reassuringly. “I’ll be back in a moment.” With that, he dropped her hands and warped out of Zelda’s bedchamber. He’d shaped the silence bubble so that it contained her bedchamber and nothing else; from her sitting rooms the sound of advancing guards were audible. Calling his magic, he locked the door – nothing would get it open now, not even a battering ram.

Then, he waited.

After a minute or two, the footsteps had stopped outside the door. After some muffled conversation when the doorhandle wouldn’t budge, there came a knock.

“Yes?” He replied, lips twitching in anticipated amusement.

Harkinian’s voice came through the door. “What’s happening?”

Deciding to cut to the chase, Ganondorf spoke shortly. “I won’t have an audience, Harkinian.”

There was a silence. “An audience?” So he was going the denial route.

“You know what I mean.” He said gruffly, then warped back to Zelda’s bedchamber. Let Harkinian stew. Turning to the princess, he grinned at her, noting that she’d sat herself down in the window seat and was smiling up at him prettily when she recognised his presence, completely oblivious to the exchange between himself and her father. He ran his gaze down her form as she stood up and grinned; he was going to enjoy taking her with her father right outside the door.

Moving towards her, Ganondorf leaned down and kissed her lightly, then pulled back to brush his fingers over her cheek. “Ready?” He asked her softly.

She nodded, her eyes wide. “I think so.”

“Good.” Ganondorf leaned down to kiss her again, his hands drifting to her waist and gently pulling her closer.

Zelda gingerly curled her finders into Ganondorf’s hair as his tongue swept along the seam of her lips, and she parted them on a breathy moan. It was a chaste kiss, almost sweet; their lips touched, but that was it. Her mind was still full of the spies in the mirror, but as Ganondorf lifted his fingers from her waist to just below her breasts, her thoughts became occupied with other things.

He pulled back then, and Zelda opened her eyes, taking a deep breath as his fingers skimmed along her shoulders, then gently spun her around to get at the ties of her gown.

“You are very beautiful in this dress.” He said softly, fingers pulling at the laces of her bodice.

“Thank you.” Zelda breathed, fingers trembling.

Ganondorf got the bodice of her gown undone, then he slowly slid it down her body, and Zelda stepped out of it when it pooled at her feet, feeling more apprehensive than ever. Now clad only in her corset, her petticoats and underclothes, she watched as Ganondorf picked up her bodice and overskirt to hang them over the back of a chair, then turned her to face him.

His eyes were intense, burning with heat as he slowly undid the laces of her main underskirt. This garment was dropped carelessly to the floor, leaving her dressed only in her corset and flimsy chemise with her petticoats and bustle. She looked down, blushing intently, and Ganondorf put his hands to her waist, looking confused as his fingers brushed the bustle.

“What is this?” He asked, sounding genuinely confused.

Zelda smiled slightly. “It’s a bustle, only a small one though. It improves the figure and enhances the silhouette.” She put her hands to the tie where it was tucked away and swiftly undid it, pulling it free from her body and placing it on the chair beside her.

Ganondorf eyed it sceptically, then turned back towards her, and Zelda took a deep breath, knowing he would soon gaze upon her naked body. She felt his gaze lazering over her form, and then his hands went to her waist, where he pulled the ribbon holding her petticoats up. She stepped out of the puddled fabric and then Ganondorf turned her gently so he could pull the laces of her corset free.

“Tch.” He said, sounding disgusted. “You wear entirely too many clothes.”

Zelda laughed softly. “I’m not surprised you think so.”

Ganondorf’s warm breath ghosted over her neck, making her shiver as he nipped at her ear. “Though I must admit its rather like unwrapping a present.”

Zelda swallowed. “I suppose...” She managed, unsure of what to say, and then her corset dropped to the floor and Ganondorf turned her around. She stood there clad only in her chemise, and was casting her gaze about to avoid looking him in the eye when she caught sight of the bulge in his trousers and bit her lip. That bulge… had been markedly less prominent when she’d first entered his rooms. Zelda blushed deeply at this incredibly mortifying realisation.

Ganondorf scooped her into his arms then, carrying her across the room to place her on her bed. Zelda could feel herself blushing and pressed her hands to her cheeks in an effort to cool them as Ganondorf sat beside her. Reaching out, he took her hands and rubbed soothing circles on her palms with his thumbs.

“Relax.” He murmured, voice deep and almost ridiculously appealing. Zelda’s gaze flashed up to meet his, and she felt another stroke of wonder slide through her – this was really happening. She wasn’t married to someone thoroughly detestable, someone cruel. _Well… he can be cruel,_ she amended, thinking back to the legends regarding the Demon King. _But he’s not been cruel to me_. She was happy, tentatively so, but happy none the less. Zelda also had to admit that the idea of going to bed with a man who was not only kind to her, but was also quite attractive, and so self-confident… she longed to have even a fraction of his strength.

“Thank you.” She whispered without realising she’d spoken, and started slightly when confusion flashed across his eyes.

“Thank you?” Ganondorf repeated, and Zelda ducked her head, embarrassed.

“You – you’ve not been cruel to me.” She whispered. “You treat me almost kindly. No one’s ever done that.”

“No one?”

Ganondorf squeezed her fingers lightly, comfortingly, and she found the bravery to look up.

“Well… my mother.” Zelda said softly. “But she passed on when I was six. I don’t really remember her… but I remember that she would kiss me. Like a parent should.”

Tears sprung to her eyes unbidden, and she pulled her hands from his to wipe the moisture from her face.

“I’m sorry.” She got out, voice choked with the effort of not breaking down entirely.

Ganondorf was frowning, and Zelda turned away, convinced she’d just made him think she was weaker than ever. He surprised her when he reached out and pulled her into his lap, tucking her against his chest as he held her in a tight embrace.

Once she unfroze herself at the shock of it all, Zelda turned to bury her face in his bare chest, relishing the comfort he offered. He was so _kind_ to her. She didn’t understand it. She shed a few more tears, but Ganondorf held her even after they’d stopped, stroking her hair softly. Zelda pulled back after a few more moments, giving him a tentative smile, and Ganondorf grinned at her, his hand moving to her cheek as his thumb stroked softly.

“What kind of man am I to let my bride cry on her wedding night?” He said, and it was so unexpected she snorted laughing, making him chuckle.

“There now.” He said quietly, leaning down. “You feel better?”

Zelda assessed herself. She was alarmingly close to naked while Ganondorf was half nude, and there was an awful lot of skin to skin contact happening… but she supposed she did feel a little more comfortable with the idea of going to bed with him now. Slowly, she nodded, and her breath came faster as he leaned down and lightly took her lips. Ganondorf kissed her sweetly, his movements slow and languid as he explored her mouth. His arm around her waist tightened, shifting her position slightly, and Zelda flushed hotly to feel a bulge pressed firmly against her thigh. Still… it wasn’t so bad now, so she continued to kiss him, her arms sliding up round his neck to twine into his hair.

The kiss began to change and deepen, and then Zelda found herself being shifted up and placed back on the bed. She flushed lightly as Ganondorf caught up one of her feet, the heat in his eyes making her feel tingly as he began to remove her stocking so slowly she burned the higher his hands slid on her bare skin. His hands were mid-thigh now, under her nightgown, and Zelda bit her lip, torn between feeling incredibly mortified and watching in fascination as he smoothed circles over her thigh, raising gooseflesh over her skin. After what felt like an eternity, Ganondorf had removed one stocking, and then Zelda was subjected to the torturous experience all over again, clenching her hands in the bedding as sparks darted over her form.

Once both her legs were bare, her stockings dropped on the floor, Ganondorf held out his hand for her to take. Zelda slipped her fingers into his, and he pulled her up on her knees, drawing her ever closer until she was practically in his lap, her thighs touching his. Zelda rested her hands lightly on his forearms as he gripped her waist and smirked at her, his fingers beginning to move a little higher. Her breathing sped up slightly the higher he went, and when he touched her breasts, Zelda found herself making a tiny noise in the back of her throat. She unconsciously gravitated a few inches towards him as he flexed his fingers on her breasts, making her bite her lip.

Ganondorf grinned, feeling quite pleased with Zelda’s reactions as he judged it an appropriate time to move forwards, the feel of her lovely bare thighs still burning his fingers. Her eyes were heavily lidded now, and he recognised her want, even if he was sure she didn’t. Her breasts were firm and high, and tightly peaked nipples pressed into his palms through the thin fabric of her chemise, drawing his attention like beacons. As alluring and innocent as she appeared in it, he decided that now was the perfect time to remove it. His hands left her breasts in favour of grasping her hem, and he raised a brow.

“Time to take this off, Zelda.” He murmured.

Her eyes flashed to his face, wide and uncertain, and though she didn’t speak, she nodded just slightly. He slowly drew the hem of her chemise up her body, revealing her naked form inch by inch. Lifting it over her head, Ganondorf tossed it to the floor and stared at Zelda’s naked body, illuminated as it was by the candlelight. She blushed and looked away, folding her arms over her breasts.

“Don’t do that.” He murmured, slowly lowering her arms. “Here.”

Ganondorf lifted his hands to her face, stroking her cheeks softly, then let one hand trail down to her shoulder while he leaned forwards to take her lips. Zelda was hesitant in the extreme, but she kissed him back, her fingers landing on his forearms again. Making his move, he slowly traced his hands down over her shoulders to cup her bare breasts. Zelda shuddered in his grip, her lips turning down, which in turn made him frown. He enjoyed pleasing his partners – their pleasure was proof of his prowess in bed, and to have a woman behave as though she did not like it was rather damaging to his ego. Not to mention the fact that he was against forcing a woman in all its forms. Ganondorf then resolved to find the barriers she had up around her, and break them down so that she was willing.

Removing his hands from her breasts with no small amount of regret, Ganondorf picked her up, ignoring her gasp, and moved them further up the bed, coming to rest reclining on her pillows. He tucked Zelda into his side, so she could touch him without being purposefully touched by him.

“What’s wrong, Zelda?” He murmured in her ear.

She looked up, startled. “Oh, I-”

Ganondorf turned slightly, the result of which was that her breasts ended up pressed against his chest, making her whimper in obvious discomfort.

“I will not hurt you.” He said softly. “You needn’t fear that.”

“It isn’t that.” She whispered, then looked down, cheeks flaming.

“Then what?”

“I-I don’t know what to do.” Zelda sounded rather upset now. “I don’t know anything, I don’t know-”

“Then let me teach you.” Ganondorf interrupted, stroking her cheek softly. “It’s not your fault your father has prevented you from being the kind of woman you could be.”

She looked ashamed.

“Listen.” Ganondorf tilted her chin up. “You realise that with our marriage you will have the opportunity to improve yourself? I’ll not stop you from doing whatever you want, including learning what has hitherto been forbidden. As my wife, you’ll have access to all our archives and resources. They might not be as fancily presented as in the library here, but the information is there.”

A small smile bloomed across her features. “Thank you.”

Pleased, Ganondorf grinned at her. “You’re welcome. Now, shall we continue...?”

Zelda was blushing again, but she was smiling, which was a good sign. “I-I-”

“Every bride is entitled to feel nervous on her wedding night.” He interrupted, trying to make her feel a little better about this. No man wanted to bed an unwilling woman, or so he would hope. “Relax, and I’ll show you what to do.”

She nodded. “Okay.” She said quietly. “I will.”

Zelda bit her lip as she watched the corner of his mouth hitch up into a pleased smile.

“Good.” He said, brushing his fingers over her cheek. “Kiss me.”

“What?”

Ganondorf grinned at her, brushing her hair back. “I want you to kiss me. At your own pace. You are in control now.”

Zelda stared at him for a long moment. At her own pace? How she wanted? That – that didn’t seem so bad. Taking her courage in both hands, Zelda nodded slightly, then leaned in. She had to climb up on her knees to reach, acutely conscious of his gaze on her naked form, and she carefully laid a hand on his chest, accidentally grazing a pierced nipple as she did so, which made her jump and him smirk, and then she leaned in properly, pausing a little to study his face when they were roughly an inch apart. Ganondorf grinned at her, remaining motionless, which she appreciated, and then she took another deep breath and kissed him. True to his word, he didn’t do anything unexpected - he just let her kiss him. When she pulled back, she gave him a shy smile, and he grinned and sat up.

“There.” He said, satisfaction clear in his tone. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Zelda shook her head. “No, it wasn’t that bad, I suppose.” She grinned at him, suddenly feeling quite a bit better about the situation.

Ganondorf grinned back. “Then may I touch you now?”

Zelda looked down again. “Um… yes?”

He chuckled slightly, then slid his hands to her waist and laid her down on the bed, kneeling beside her. Ganondorf lightly rested a hand on her belly, and Zelda curled her fingers into the sheets as he skimmed across her flesh. She bit her lip as he drifted to her breasts and cupped them once more. The thing was – his touch wasn’t unpleasant. Not at all. She was feeling quite warm, and when her nipples rubbed against his palms it sent sparks of sensation shooting throughout her body, coming to rest between her legs. It was a thoroughly unfamiliar yet not unpleasant feeling. Ganondorf slid his fingers to the tips of her nipples then and rolled them gently, which made her close her eyes and sigh with the sensation there. She whimpered as he pinched her just slightly, as the feelings began to grow stronger. After he bent down and began to nip and lick at her throat, suckling gently in tandem to his hands on her breasts, Zelda became conscious of a sort of throb between her legs – it was entirely unfamiliar to her, and she frowned in confusion. The throb was not a painful throb, it was… like an itch she wanted to scratch. Her hips began to lift and twitch without her having consciously given them permission to, and Ganondorf stilled his movements, clearly having noticed.

He moved up to her ear and nipped lightly at her lobe as she continued to squirm from his hands on her breasts. How did it feel so good? It didn’t really make much sense – he was only touching her, how could it feel this way?

“What are you feeling?” He whispered, his voice dark with desire – that much was obvious, even to her.

Zelda blinked and demurred, but he asked her again and again, his hands on her breasts heightening the throb, clarifying what he wanted from her until she caved and told him, not very fluently, about the ache between her thighs. Then, very nervously, she asked what it was, for she’d never felt it before.

Ganondorf grinned at her, kissing her lightly and sliding a hand down her belly. “It simply means you are aroused.” He purred in her ear. “And I know just what to do about it.”

Zelda waited in anticipation for his next move, confused by his words. What would he do? Did he mean the actual act of consummation? Would that remove the throb?

Blinking hard, she gasped in astonishment as Ganondorf’s mouth landed on her collarbone, nipping her skin then soothing the sting with his tongue. Then, he went lower. Her cheeks furiously red, Zelda stared at the ceiling as his mouth travelled down over one breast, and when he took her nipple into his mouth she whimpered in surprise and shock. She tipped her head back, mouth ajar at the surprising pleasure that coursed through her – her back arched and her hands wove into his fiery strands as they draped over her body. Ganondorf moved to her other breast, curling his tongue around her nipple and suckling there until she couldn’t restrain the cry that left her throat.

When the Gerudo King pulled back, he sat down on the bed, crossed his legs, and held out his hand.

“In your own time.” He said softly, and Zelda blinked up at him, then slowly pushed herself upright, slipping her hand into his. She knelt before him, trying to clear her foggy mind. Distantly, she realised what he was doing – he was trying to make her feel better by letting her lead, so he wouldn’t seem quite so overpowering to her. This thought, however rational it was, was at the back of her mind. The thought at her forefront, the one that was demanding she move, was that what he’d been doing to her, however unfamiliar it was, felt very good – and she wanted him to continue. With this in mind, Zelda moved forwards, settling a hand on his knee as she leaned forwards and swallowed hard. She could, however, see a very daunting bulge in his trousers, and that was making her more apprehensive.

“Will – will you kiss me again?” She asked softly, and his eyes sparked with fire.

“It would be my very great pleasure, Princess.” He murmured, and leaned in to claim her lips. Zelda parted them willingly when his tongue brushed along the seam, and she shivered in something very close to delight.

Ganondorf smirked against Zelda’s mouth as she swayed closer and closer. He was pulling back ever so slightly while still kissing her, so that if she didn’t want to break the kiss she had no choice but to come closer. Her hand slid along his thigh, and his excitement and smug pleasure only grew as she very gingerly climbed into his lap. Even with Zelda up on her knees in his lap, he was still taller than her, and he broke the kiss to look down at the very alluring view of her nude form. Sliding his hands to her hips, he looked at her in question.

“Good?”

Zelda nodded and licked her lips, which only heightened his want for her. Her fingers tightened slightly on his shoulders, and he grinned and leaned in to kiss her again. When he slid his hand down her abdomen and between her thighs she went rigid and pulled back.

“What are you _doing?”_ She demanded, voice low and rusty with her desire.

“Don’t worry.” He breathed in her ear. “It’s perfectly normal.” Zelda still looked wary, so he continued. “You’ll like it, I promise. Just trust me.”

It took a long moment as those deep blue eyes searched his face, but she nodded slowly. Ganondorf grinned and kissed her again, waiting until her body relaxed slightly to restart his motions between her thighs. She gasped against his mouth as he found her most sensitive spot and began to massage it, her slickness providing ample lubricant. Zelda whimpered against his lips, her fingers clenched tightly in his hair as he rubbed in tight circles, relishing the twitching movements of her hips and the trembling of her thighs as her eyes drifted closed. Ganondorf growled as he explored her slit, and then pulled her a little closer as he released her lips. Zelda immediately buried her face in his throat as she moaned and cried out, her hips twisting in his grip as he found her clit once more.

“ _Ah_ – mphf – oh, goddesses – _oh_.”

Ganondorf chuckled slightly at Zelda’s tone as his free hand came up to find her breasts, her peaked nipples pressing into his palms as he kneaded the firm flesh, making her moan.

Once he was sure she was wet and aroused enough, he slid a finger to her entrance and pushed in slowly. Her slick inner walls immediately clamped down around him and he stifled a groan as Zelda froze, panting hard.

“Oh – don’t – it feels… strange, I-”

“Relax.” He breathed, dipping his head to trace his tongue along the shell of her pointed ear. “It’ll feel good.”

After a heartbeat, Zelda nodded, still with her face pressed to the hollow of his throat. Ganondorf sank in a little deeper, until her whimper was tinged with pain, and then he immediately pulled out, before re-entering her, though not quite as deeply as before. After a while, Zelda had looped her arms around his neck and was breathing hard as she held on for dear life, her thighs trembling as he worked to make her comfortable with the idea of penetration, and then finally, he deemed her ready for him.

Easing her hips back slightly, Ganondorf let her cling to his neck as he unlaced his trousers, pushing them down his thighs enough to reveal his hard cock.

He heard Zelda mumble “Oh dear”, and grinned – she’d evidently looked down and seen his sizeable manhood, though he did say so himself.

“Don’t worry.” He murmured, hands settling on her hips. “It will probably hurt a bit, but not for long.”

She nodded, face still hidden, and he lifted her over his cock. Her warmth drew him in and he lowered her a fraction, gritting his teeth as the head of his shaft entered her. Zelda stiffened and made an uncertain noise, and he flexed his fingers on her hips.

“Are you alright?” He asked, and she drew back slightly to meet his gaze, her beautiful features drawn in a half pained, half confused expression. The princess nodded slightly, and he lowered her another inch onto him, making her gasp and flex her fingers in his shoulders. Ganondorf gritted his teeth as she sank down onto him agonisingly slowly, pausing her descent whenever she made a pained noise. Finally, _finally_ , he was seated fully inside her wet heat, and she was almost unbearably tight around him.

A sob caught his attention, and Ganondorf looked down to find Zelda sniffling into his throat, her cheeks stained with tears. Some women felt the loss of their virginity keenly – it was just his luck Zelda would be one of them.

“Zelda.” He murmured, tilting her chin up.

“It hurts!” She whispered.

“I know. It won’t last for long.”

Ganondorf slid a hand down to her clit, gritting his teeth as she jerked around his cock when he stroked her. He had to pleasure her now – it would ease the pain of being bedded for the first time. Zelda’s hips began to pulse in time to his movements, and once he was sure her whimpers were of pleasure, not pain, he took her hips and lifted her. The princess moaned, and he growled at her tightness as he raised and lowered her on his cock. Her lips parted as her expression became dazed by her desire, and as she dug her nails into his arms he knew her pain was forgotten for now. Growling, he increased the speed with which he fucked her and smirked through tight lips as her cries grew higher in pitch.

Sliding his hands beneath her rump, Ganondorf lifted her and moved her further up the bed. Now lying on her back, Zelda spread her legs as he swiftly shed his trousers and she reached for him. Ganondorf smirked at her obvious want and moved to cover her form, taking her mouth as he entered her once more. The princess stiffened and cried out in discomfort, but as he moved, her slickness eased his passage within her. By now, his blood boiled in his veins with the need for his release, and he growled into her mouth as his hips pistoned against hers. Sliding a hand between them, Ganondorf found her clit and began to rub, thoroughly enjoying the motion of her hips arching against his.

Her breathing sped up alongside the undulation of her body, and then Ganondorf registered the tightening of her inner walls as she pulsed around him – she was close. Snarling under his breath, he burnished her clit harder, smirking as Zelda let out a wail and exploded around him. Leaning upright, he gripped her thighs and spread them wider, fucking her through her climax until the rhythmic clenching of her slick inner muscles overcame him and he loosed his seed deep inside her. He collapsed over the princess, bracing himself with his arms on either side of her head as his vision ran white with his release.

When Ganondorf opened his eyes, he found Zelda watching him with a mix of pleasure, confusion and pain on her face. She made a slight noise as he withdrew, and then he rolled onto his side and pulled her into him.

Zelda breathed hard, eyes wide, as Ganondorf tucked her against his chest. She had no idea what she was supposed to be feeling… was the pure pleasure still coursing through her system normal? She had to know.

“Does that happen for everyone?” She asked, then blushed. She hadn’t meant to be quite so… direct.

Ganondorf grinned. “I won’t pretend I don’t know what you mean. Everyone is capable of climax, but it doesn’t always happen.”

“Oh.” So that’s what that feeling was called? She made a mental note to see if she could sneak into the part of the library where the medical texts were kept. Cautiously, Zelda lowered her head to his chest, secretly quite liking the feel of his arm around her, though now she was becoming more and more aware of the ache between her thighs. Despite her soreness, the way he seemed content to hold her close was comforting. It made her feel… safe. Her eyes flew wide as Ganondorf abruptly stood up, pulling her into his arms.

“What are you doing?” She asked, and Ganondorf nodded towards her bathing chambers.

“Some women bleed – if you are you ought to get cleaned up.”

“Oh.” Zelda sat uncomfortably on the chair he’d deposited her on as he ran her a bath – he was not what she expected, not at all. And Ganondorf was so at ease with his nudity! She had her arms folded awkwardly over her breasts, trying to conceal herself, and yet he did not even attempt it. Her eye ran down his well-muscled form. _Perhaps there is a reason for that,_ she mused. Abruptly, he came over, scooped her up and then climbed into the bath with her. She hadn’t been expecting that. Peeking over her shoulder with wide eyes, she eyed the Demon King as he smirked at her.

“Um…?” She asked, and he chuckled.

“Relax, Princess.” Ganondorf’s voice was very deep, and from where her naked back was pressed against his bare chest, it rumbled all the way down to her toes. The bath water was so deliciously warm though… the heat seeped into her tense, sore muscles and before she knew it, she’d leaned back against him with a murmur of contentment as one large muscled arm wrapped around her waist. His other hand, she noticed through drowsy lids, was occupied in pouring a measure of bath oil onto a washcloth, and then he gently stroked the damp cloth down her shoulders. Zelda had never been washed by someone else, and never touched with such _tenderness_ – despite her utter befuddlement that _Ganondorf_ was touching her in such a fashion, she decided in her drowsiness that she could allow it. After all… it did feel rather nice. _Later_. She thought. _I will ask him for his motives later._ Her head lolled back and her eyes drifted completely shut as the warm oily cloth moved over her breasts, then down over her stomach and between her legs, softly wiping away the blood.

The cloth disappeared then, and Ganondorf sank them both deeper into the water. Her breasts were submerged now, both of his arms tight around her waist, holding her to him. Zelda bit her lip, wondering what he intended to do now – he _seemed_ rather content to just sit in the fragrant water with her, but he couldn’t. Could he? But it was so terribly relaxing, she felt so content… Zelda yawned slightly, and was asleep before she knew it.

Ganondorf watched Zelda fall asleep and preened that he’d been able to relax her enough to do such a thing. When he was sure her slumber was deep enough for him to move her without waking her up, he climbed out of the tub and carried her over to her day bed, where he lay her down to dry; he didn’t think she’d appreciate him dripping water all over her actual bed. Then, Ganondorf wandered about her chambers for a while – he checked to see if there was anyone still outside the door, but it seemed they’d all left. He smirked in satisfaction and went to check on Zelda again – she was dry now, they both were, so he carefully scooped her up and laid her in her bed, lying down beside her and settling in for a good nights sleep under her silk sheets.

 

* * *

 

Zelda awoke the next morning to find herself curled up to a snoring presence in her bed. She was briefly confused – hadn’t she last been in the bath? How did she end up in bed? But as she stretched her sore muscles and Ganondorf twitched beside her, the arm wrapped around her drawing her closer, Zelda realised she felt terribly content. She was, however, still nude, and that made her feel a little uncomfortable. Having made her decision, she slipped out of his grasp and off her bed, crossing to her wardrobe to find her robe. After she’d tied the silken sash, she registered the sound of rain and curiously headed across to the windows. Pulling open the curtain, Zelda smiled softly at the heavy downpour turning the world grey, and then she heard a distantly displeased groan from behind her.

“Ugh, it’s _raining_. Again.”

A smile slid over her features as she turned to face Ganondorf, still bundled up under the blankets.

“You do confuse me.” She said softly, wondering where the line for bold speech was to be drawn now that they were married. “I should have thought a desert man would take joy in rain.”

He made a face. “I do – in proper rain. Hylian rain is too _cold_. And it rains entirely too much. You don’t need it.”

Zelda moved a little closer. “Don’t we? Without it, our lands would become a desert to rival yours.”

“I doubt it.” Ganondorf said comfortably, slipping his hands behind his head. “Were it never to rain here for a century, the Goddesses would still keep this miserable place alive. They’d not grant such favour to _us_.”

She frowned a little. “Will you… tell me a little of what your lands are like?”

Ganondorf raised a brow. “Will you continue to call them _my_ lands?”

Her brow furrowed further. “I don’t…” Zelda caught his meaning then. “I cannot claim a land I have not seen, you know. But… I’m sure that when I live there, it will come to be home, and then, Goddesses willing, I might call it mine after all.”

Ganondorf stared at her for a long moment, until Zelda ducked her head from her discomfort.

“I mean… if you are okay with that.” She tacked on quietly.

“Come here, Zelda.”

She looked up, brows furrowed in confusion and fear as she watched him pat the space beside him. Cautiously, Zelda made her way around to the other side of the bed, took a deep breath, and climbed up. She’d slept with him now, she reasoned with herself. There was no reason why she couldn’t sit with him, in her own bed. All the same, she knew her skin was flushed pink. Ganondorf took hold of her wrist then, and tugged until she was under the blankets and curled up at his side.

“You’re a strange woman, Princess.” He said conversationally. “Here you are, saying you would actually consider calling the desert home, and you think I would not be pleased by that.”

“Sorry.” She whispered, letting herself relax into his embrace. “It’s just… living here, I must always add disclaimers to my words, else Papa will be angry. I live in a perpetual cycle of, here is my opinion, but just in case you disagree, it’s not actually my opinion. Not that I even get the chance to state my own feelings often.”

Ganondorf was silent for a moment. “You’ll have to work on that. My sisters do not appreciate wishy-washy bullshit. We are a straightforward people, and are often short with those who cannot get to the point.”

“Oh.” Zelda managed a weak chuckle. “Then I have my work cut out for me.”

Ganondorf made a strange sound deep in his chest, almost like a purr, and Zelda took a deep breath as she relaxed further, letting herself melt bonelessly against him. It was almost overwhelming, being this close. She’d been convinced that she’d lose him when he went back to the desert and she married, convinced that she’d always pine for his presence from afar, but this – they were married now, and he held her in his arms… Zelda couldn’t believe it. She hardly dared breathe in case the bubble burst. Considering her feelings carefully, she decided that while she loved him, it was a rather superficial love. She loved him for the attention he gave her, for the fact that in her whole life, he was the only one to speak to her as though she were a real human being – she felt only limited affection towards him, though she knew that the more time she spent with him, the more likely she was to fall deeper in love.

“Why did you agree?” The words left her mouth before she could call them back.

“Agree to what?”

“To marry me.” She said softly, feeling she might as well continue it now she’d started.

Ganondorf was silent for a long moment, and Zelda took a deep breath and elaborated.

“You – you’ve said it yourself, that you don’t like Wisdom. I can’t see any logical reason you’d agree to marriage just because my father proposed it, let alone treat me with anything resembling kindness. We – we are man and wife now. Surely you can tell me.”

Ganondorf rolled onto his side then, arm still about her waist, his expression very intense as he regarded her. “You’re different now.” He said finally. “You’re an oddity, a peculiarity, an aberration in the very long line of Zelda’s I’ve known. That makes you interesting.”

Zelda licked her lips, unsure of what to say next. It hurt every time he said she was different, like a jagged blade entering her heart and reminding her she would never measure up to her ancestors.

“I know I’m not – like them.” She said faintly, then mustered up some courage. “But that doesn’t explain why you are being so – so _kind_. There’s no reason why you should not have consummated your marriage and left. Instead, you’re still here… and you are holding me.” That was a very hard sentence to say out loud, and she flushed deeply at his chuckle.

“You think in Hylian terms, Princess. You say there’s no reason? Perhaps I am merely fond of physical intimacy, and can admit it to you. I enjoy bedding a woman and bringing her pleasure – it feeds my ego, perhaps, but I enjoy it all the same.”

“Oh.” She breathed, face flaming. “Then – that’s it?”

“That’s it.” Ganondorf confirmed, and then he backtracked. “Well, most of it.” He leaned down, the bristles of his beard grazing her ear and making her shiver. “You’re very beautiful, true, which makes it easy to bed you, but I also have an ulterior motive.”

Zelda found her hands were drifting to his broad shoulders without her permission as Ganondorf continued to nuzzle and nip at her ear. “And what might that be?” She murmured, her heart in her throat.

“You’re the first Zelda with whom I’ve had a chance to show my culture, properly show it. I admit, in the past other Zelda’s came to the desert, or I was a dignitary in Hyrule… but they cared little beyond superficiality. You, on the other hand, will live in my home. You’ll live there as my wife, an honorary Gerudo and not just a visitor. You’ll bear my children, and they will be _Gérudoshék_ … surely you can see why having the Princess of Hyrule in that position is important to me. It is doubly important to me that you come to appreciate my home, and not call it the barren wasteland so many of your predecessors did. I finally have a chance to make you understand… I won’t throw it away that easily.”

Zelda nodded slowly, her hand moving from his shoulder to his hair, then tracing the straight line of his cheekbone. “If I may be honest.” She began softly. “I would be honoured to be included in your culture. I thought… well, I thought you might just take me there and leave me, much like I am ignored here.”

Fire flashed in those vivid golden eyes. “You won’t be.” He promised, pulling her closer. “That, I assure you.”

Zelda smiled. “Thank you.” She breathed. Ganondorf grinned and pulled the blankets higher around their shoulders, tucking her against his chest. Listening to the rain lashing the windows with his heartbeat beneath her palms, Zelda was so happy she thought she might burst – even if he didn’t mean it, the mere thought of escaping the miserable life she lived was enough to make her fly past the stars on golden wings.


	7. Into the Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda finally departs Hyrule for her new life in the Gerudo Valley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to gerudoshikyapril.tumblr.com, who developed the Gerudo language I'm using in this fic!

Zelda peered out of the window of her carriage, taking her final glance at Hyrule Castle. She deliberated for a moment, then gave a slight wave at the assembled courtiers and her father as they stood on the steps, watching her carriage and the Gerudo horses pull out of the courtyard. Some of them waved back. Once they were through the castle gates, she frowned slightly, then laid a hand on a belly filled with nerves. Ganondorf had told her that the journey to the desert would take nearly three weeks, and so a squad of Hylian outriders had been sent along with her as her escorts. Once they reached the desert, the Hylians would turn back, and she would be alone with the Gerudo. Peeking out the window again, she took small comfort in the sight of the outrider closest to her, his polished armour shining in the sun.

They rode all day, and at nightfall made camp somewhere in Lanayru. Zelda spoke very little to anyone, for Ganondorf was still acting aloof in the presence of the Hylian guards, the guards themselves treated her much the same as anyone ever did, and the Gerudo women obviously did not know how to treat her, and so they ignored her.

Sitting around a crowded and cheerful campfire, Zelda sat and stared at the plate on her lap. Everyone was in conversation but for her – as it usually was. She supposed she oughtn’t expect anything out of the ordinary yet – after all, they were still in Hyrule.

Ganondorf sipped his glass of water slowly, in the middle of speaking with Sororu, but was peering over her head at Zelda, who was staring at her knees, looking rather miserable. He frowned a little, wondering how long it would take her to come out of her shell – he rather suspected it wouldn’t be until the Hylian guards left and took their oppressive social restrictions with them.

 _Decisions, Decisions._ That was the name of the current game. Ganondorf had a few choices, the first of which was that he could do as Harkinian expected – he could leave Zelda completely uneducated about the desert, and therefore defenceless from its dangers, which would mean her certain death. He had to admit, such a slow, drawn out method of killing someone was not really his style – if he was going to kill her, he’d do it mercifully, one clean blow, too quick for her to realise he’d dealt it. However… Ganondorf knew that if Harkinian had made such an offer in the time before he’d become properly aware of Zelda’s situation, he’d have accepted the terms without a second thought, left her to die, tracked down her corpse and taken her Triforce for his own. That was the way – his usual method of things in this cycle, unless the wretched Hero got lucky.

But.

He’d gotten to know Zelda to some extent. He’d spoken with her, before and after it was expected they marry. Ganondorf knew that the only reason she was allowed out of doors without a chaperone was that she never spoke to anyone, and nobody spoke to her. That was Harkinian’s first mistake. The Hylian King had assumed that Power’s hatred and disdain of Wisdom would prevent their seeking each other out – but as it happened, the Triforce bearers were always drawn together, by violence or by simple curiosity. But Harkinian was not to know that. He would not have known that despite Ganondorf telling the princess he wished to see neither hide nor hair of her when they first met in the throne room, his curiosity of her, of Wisdom, would compel him to at least trade pointed barbs with the girl, considering the peace treaty.

But the princess was incapable of trading barbs, at least to the extent that he was used to. She was wholly different to the other Zelda’s he’d met, an anomaly, something new and contradictory that was to be inspected and examined, lest these variances of nature turn out to disrupt the cycle he knew _. I suppose in a way they have_ , he mused. _And it is by my hand too. If I’d not sought her out to find out her dissimilarities from the previous Zelda’s, then I’d not have come to know her, and if I had not done that, I’d not be so inclined to keep her alive._

He frowned at that. Sororu had wandered off, evidently tired of his disinterested conversation, and he was glad of it. It gave him time to think. No, he rather thought he would keep her alive… it would allow him to explore the seeds of an idea gestating in his mind; he’d thought of this when Harkinian first offered Zelda to him, and then the plot had strengthened in merit when the princess had spoken regretfully of leaving Hyrule Castle and her people. Despite her odd upbringing, her nature was still true – her sense of duty to her kingdom was still there, it just needed to be cultivated. Which was where his idea came in. His gaze was drawn by Zelda’s movement; she stood silently and placed her barely touched plate by the cleaning bucket, and then she entered her tent. She was like a ghost, barely noticeable; though she existed like any other person, they all simply ignored her. Well, that would change. He would, after giving the princess some time to adjust to life in the desert, present his idea to her. Ganondorf suspected that she would be reticent about it, and her opinions of it would probably be negative, but he knew eventually she’d come around. He intended to help her mould herself into Princess Zelda once more – only this time, she’d be far more agreeable to him. Then, once she was ready, they would put their plan into action together – and take back Hyrule.

They travelled for weeks, and then at last the golden sands were visible. Zelda hung out her window, staring at the rolling dunes as they approached. In the distance, there was a vicious screeching roar, and everyone turned to stare at the monstrous creature that erupted from the desert in the distance, spraying sand everywhere. Its huge and menacing form was silhouetted against the sunset for several heart stopping moments, and then it crashed back down to earth, its long barbed tail slicing through the air as the creature dove beneath the sand as though it were water.

Zelda honestly thought her eyes were about to fall out of her head as she locked gazes with one of the Hylian outriders; he swung around to stare at her, eyes popping, mouth slack. Nothing like that existed in Hyrule; she suddenly understood why Ganondorf had been so insistent that the desert was a dangerous place.

She slowly drew her head back inside her carriage; the elaborate scrolling designs in gold seemed suddenly silly and frivolous; out here, practicality was the key. They made camp at an outcropping of rock – the Hylian outriders would take their leave in the morning, and she would be alone with the Gerudo. She pursed her lips at this thought. Ganondorf was as cold as usual in the presence of his warriors and the other Hylians, but he occasionally sent her a grin, a warm flash of a smile that reminded her to keep her spirits up. He’d even come to her once, sneaking into her tent in the dead of night. Zelda had slept very well indeed on that one warm night wrapped in his arms, but before they’d slept, after the heat of touch in the darkened space, they’d talked in hushed tones, and he’d told her that once the Hylians were gone, the Gerudo would warm up to her a little – they were wary of the presence of so many Hylian men. But as she was a woman – though she may be pale and strange – she was far more trustworthy than the men. Zelda was cheered by this thought, and both welcomed and hated the day her countrymen would leave.

Dinner was served and she picked at it, sitting on a woven rug as close to the Hylian men as she could manage without drawing unwelcome glances. It was like a physical wound that throbbed – they were her last link to her kingdom, her people, and she would soon lose them. Ganondorf was watching her again, she knew, and she met his gaze shyly, and smiled when he did.

As she lay in her tent a little while later, she took a few deep, slow calming breaths and focused inwards, searching for her magic. It was small, and underdeveloped, for her father had point blank refused to have anyone teach her even the basics, but she could still reach it, could still touch it. It welled up inside her, sparkling and pure, cool as fresh water from a spring, and she touched a finger to a dead leaf she had been fiddling with, smiling as its edges briefly sparked golden. Sighing slightly, she rolled over and tried to sleep. Tomorrow was the day her marriage properly began.

 

* * *

 

Zelda awoke to find a bustle of activity going on around her tent. She dressed swiftly, making a face as the fine silk of her gown stuck to her skin in the heat. Exiting her tent, the outriders noted her movement and moved to pack up her tent; she realised they were already mostly packed to go back to Hyrule. Looking around, she noticed one very distinctive person was missing; Ganondorf. Sidling over to the nearest guard, she whispered at him.

“Where is the King?”

“He went to scout or some such thing, your Majesty.”

“Oh.” Zelda nodded and nibbled on some dried fruit as she watched everything get packed up; all too soon, it was time for the Hylian men to leave. To their credit, they each bowed to her and wished her well. Zelda stood there for a long time, watching their retreating backs until she could no longer see them. She heaved a sigh then turned around to see most of the Gerudo staring at her.

“Princess.” Said Ganondorf’s second. “You know names now, yes?”

It was clear that Jaroobi’s Hylian was rudimentary indeed, but Zelda nodded. She clearly intended to introduce herself. “Yes.” She said, beginning to walk towards the little camp. “That would be-”

Her words cut off with a shriek as the ground gave way beneath her, and she plunged into a hole up to her shoulders. The Gerudo laughed heartily, but then three of them came over, took hold of her arms, and pulled her free.

“What on earth was that?” Zelda asked in disbelief, trying to brush the excess sand off her gown as she frowned at the hole.

The Gerudo were still chuckling as Jaroobi stepped forwards. “Burrows.” She said, and then said something in a foreign tongue. Zelda furrowed her brow, and the woman tried to get the message across by forming a set of snapping jaws with her fingers. Zelda’s brows pulled together as she took a few deliberate steps away from the hole, to the general amusement of the Gerudo.

“My name Jaroobi, but you know already.” Said the same woman again, a tall, muscular female whose flaming hair was braided fiercely back from her face.

Zelda motioned at herself. “Call me Zelda.” This was a chance for a fresh start.

Jaroobi smiled. “ _Zelda-iva.”_

She had no idea why the woman had tacked that sound on to the end of her name, but knew that explanations would be fruitless without a proper translator.

Pointing at each woman in turn, Jaroobi said their names, which Zelda repeated carefully, trying to get the accent right.

“Maronno.”

Mar-ono.”

“Elavi.”

“Ella-vi.”

“Talooru.”

“Tal-oru.”

“Sororu.”

“Soar –oru.”

And so on.

Conversation was limited, at least between they and herself, but Zelda felt more included than she had in days – they motioned for her to sit in their circle, and then the woman by the name of Eseri produced a bundle that turned out to be a cloak.

 _“Hidasu, shín!”_ She said, and Zelda thanked her without any idea of what she had said.

The cloak was fabulously light and floaty silk of dull cream embroidered with Gerudo patterns in deep blues, and it swished around her strangely, for it fell to her knees rather than to her ankles.

“Keep sun away when ride.” Explained Jaroobi. “You like?”

Zelda nodded. “Yes, it’s lovely.”

Jaroobi turned to translate, and the rest of the Gerudo beamed when they heard she liked it. She was motioned over to their seats and bade sit, and a waterskin was pressed into her hand, which she gratefully drank from. Thirty sets of bright golden eyes regarded her with curiosity, and she smiled rather shyly at them all.

Jaroobi had apparently designated herself as official translator, and was sitting next to her.

“ _Zelda-iva_.” She began. “You read?”

Zelda nodded, resolving to ask Ganondorf exactly what ‘iva’ meant. “Yes.”

“We have…” there was a pause as she scrunched up her face, thinking of the right word.

“Books?” Zelda offered, but she shook her head.

“No, no… skoll?”

“Oh! Scrolls?”

Jaroobi nodded. “Yes!”

Their conversation was stilted and slow, but at least she was having a conversation. Zelda’s smile grew as the rest of the Gerudo chimed in, offering questions that Jaroobi dutifully translated as best she could.

Ganondorf crested the ridge and reined in his stallion to scan the camp below. The sentries had spotted him, for they were all standing up. He reached then camp and dismounted then turned to see Zelda with a Gerudo cloak wrapped round her shoulders. She smiled rather shyly, shifting from foot to foot and twisting the hem of her cloak in her hands.

“I see you’ve made a start of changing her clothes.” He said in _Ehenív_.

“We’ll make a decent _Gérudoshék_ of her yet.” Cackled Noribi, slapping her thighs.

“Are we ready?” He asked, and they nodded.

“Aye, we are, but the Princess doesn’t have a horse.” Answered Jaroobi, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand.

Ganondorf shrugged as casually as he could, then gave his sisters a wolfish grin. “Then she’ll ride with me.”

This statement was met with such an outbreak of whistling and hooting that Zelda stared, and Ganondorf chuckled as he led his horse towards her while his sisters mounted theirs.

“Ready, Zelda?” He asked, reverting back to Hylian. She still looked a little confused.

“Yes?”

He nodded and mounted his horse, then leaned down and held out his hand. Zelda looked a little pink, but she took his hand and let herself be pulled up into the saddle. She was sitting across his thighs, and she sank one hand into his cloak for balance as she looked up at him, clearly embarrassed.

“Relax, Princess.” He said, flicking the reins and urging his horse forwards. “After all, you’ve done this before…”

That only served to heighten her flush.

“Any sightings?” Called Umala, and he ignored Zelda for the moment as she looked puzzled over the foreign words.

“Two geldarms to the far East, but I’m fairly sure the path is clear if we go this way…” He illustrated their route with his hand. “Follow me.” He commanded, and they fell into single file behind him. This was the safest method of travelling overland; in event of an attack by one of the monstrous beings that lived in the dune, only two or three riders would be taken instead of the many more that would die if they travelled in close groups.

They rode for a few hours, heading towards the Haunted Wasteland. Of course, they weren’t actually going through there – it was used as a sort of landmark, and they went alongside it instead.

“See there?” He murmured in Hylian when they were close enough. “That’s _Va Rugarnu_. It would be the ‘Haunted Wasteland’ in Hylian.”

Zelda looked interested. “ _Haunted?_ Is it really?”

Ganondorf chuckled. “No, not really. It’s very hazardous, though, extremely dangerous to cross. We tell foreigners and young children it’s haunted to keep them out, since going in there is essentially a death sentence.”

She straightened, shading her eyes with her hands as she eyed the wasteland. “What are those red things?”

“Flags. They warn you that you’re too close and you really ought to turn around and go home.”

Zelda nodded. “I see. What makes it so dangerous?”

“There is what we call _Va me zhu Ayri-ésishi_ – the River of Sand. It is a vast river, but of quicksand, not water.”

“But how fascinating.”

“Because we don’t often venture into the centre, it’s also absolutely infested with monsters.”

“Ergh.”

He chuckled at the look on her face. “There’s monsters throughout the whole desert, so don’t worry. You’ll see plenty.”

“Oh, joy.” She mumbled, and fanned her face. In her long constricting gown, Zelda was sweating profusely, her skin tinged with pink as she tried to cool herself. It didn’t work, and wouldn’t work until she changed.

They made camp for the evening and this time, Zelda was included, which both delighted and confused her beyond measure. Ganondorf translated for her, and made her sit by his side while they ate. He didn’t touch her, but she was quite okay with that as she spoke, waited for her words to be turned into Gerudo, and for the answering Gerudo to be turned into Hylian. Zelda didn’t speak much, but as it was far more conversation than she’d had for the past several weeks combined, she was not incline to complain.

The evening passed relatively quickly, and they soon were stretching out on their bedrolls, the sentries patrolling the area with a slow but alert step. Zelda fell asleep with a smile on her face, her bedroll facing Ganondorf’s. Without the Hylian men to put up her tent, she had to sleep on the ground, and though it was a novel experience, it was actually far cooler then being inside a tent – the breeze blew softly over her heated skin without any barrier in the way.

The rest of the three-day journey fell away without much more difficulty then an attack by a centipede like creature Ganondorf informed her was called a geldarm, and were very common in the desert. He all but tossed her off his horse and led the monster away from the main group. Three Gerudo, including Sororu, had positioned themselves around her as Zelda picked herself up out of the sand and then watched, her heart in her mouth as Ganondorf and the other Gerudo fought the geldarm. The women remained on their horses, any pack steeds cut loose to flee as they circled the giant centipede and fired arrows at it. Ganondorf was clearly a lunatic, she decided, as she watched him fling himself off his horse and face the geldarm on foot. Eventually, however, the weakened monster, greenish blood pouring from its arrow wounds, left itself open to attack from the Gerudo King, who took the opportunity and decapitated the creature. Zelda was in complete awe – the geldarm had to be two stories tall at least, and Ganondorf had just _killed_ it.

Following that drama, the packhorses had to be rounded up and injuries tallied. Fortunately, no one had died, nor had they lost any horses, though one was limping rather badly from a gaping wound inflicted on its shoulder. The gelding’s rider had taken a length of material from their supplies and bandaged the horse, and now rode behind another Gerudo, her horse leading quietly beside her. Ganondorf had come to pick her up, chuckling the whole time. Clearly, slaughtering a giant beast put him in a good mood. Traveling slowly now, because of the injured horse, they continued the trek across the dunes. Finally, they reached the Gerudo fortress – her new home.

“What do you think?” Ganondorf murmured in her ear as they crested the final dune and the fortress came into view.

Zelda held up a hand. “I don’t know… I’m not sure what I was expecting… It looks a good deal more… _civilised_ than our representations of it.”

That made him snort in irritation. “Of course you think that.” He muttered under his breath. “It is called _Va alforf_ in our language.”

Zelda tried it out. _“Va… alforf_ …” She said slowly. “Fascinating. What are those low walls for?” She asked, gesturing at what she meant.

“Those are our gardens. There is not a great deal of vegetation safe to eat that grows naturally here, so we must cultivate our food carefully.”

“I see.”

They rode through the wide gates to many a look of confusion – at her, once she had lowered her hood. “Why are they looking at me like that?” She whispered as a group of children pointed at her and chattered excitedly. “Did you not send word that you had married?”

“I did, but many of us – particularly the younger girls – have never seen a Hylian. You’ll be an object of fascination for a goodly while, Princess.”

They dismounted in what seemed to be a very social setting – it was an enormous square courtyard in the centre of the fortress – sorry, _alforf_. Ganondorf tied his stallion to a hitching rail, then turned, pressing a hand into the small of her back to urge her forwards. Zelda met the curious and expectant gazes with as much poise as she could muster as Ganondorf said something in Gerudo, then began steering her through the crowd. Peeking over her shoulder, she saw several women unloading her trunks from the pack mules.

“Where are we going?” She asked, and Ganondorf gave her a lazy grin.

“Where do you think? Your new home, that’s where.”

“How do royalty live here?” She asked, twisting around to take in all her surroundings. “I cannot see anything that looks like a castle…”

That made him laugh. “No, no castles I’m afraid. My quarters are just up ahead.”

Ganondorf’s quarters turned out be a spacious building separate from the rest, with an upstairs and a downstairs. In his words, he lived upstairs and worked downstairs, with his bedchambers and bathing space on a stone platform supported by immense carved pillars high above their heads, and his eating area, his fire pit, and his study down beneath it. All of his furniture was enormous, draped in swathes of silk and large round cushions, and she noticed that one room was firmly cordoned off by a colourful curtain of patterned cloth. Zelda asked him cautiously what was behind the curtain, and it was with a measure of gruffness that he informed her that it was his private study, and he’d show her when he had more time – but under no account was she to go in there when he was not present. Zelda bowed her head and mumbled her acquiescence, but then Ganondorf tilted her chin up, a slow smirk on his face.

“You needn’t be so subservient anymore, Princess.” He said. “You are not in Hyrule now. All you have to do is nod, or say yes, or something. You don’t need to do the whole ‘I will obey’ routine here.”

Zelda tilted her head. “I’m not sure… I’ll be able to stop.” She said honestly. “It’s hard to break a habit so thoroughly engrained.”

A flash of fire entered his eyes. “Well, I hope you will try. I dislike seeing you like this… I’m used to the other Zelda’s, who were brave and bold and refused to bow to anybody.”

She looked at her toes, a wave of shame washing over her. “You don’t have to tell me that I’m a pitiful excuse for a Zelda.” She whispered. “I already know that.”

Ganondorf tilted her chin up again, then leaned in and kissed her briefly. Zelda stared up at him, wondering why he’d done that. “Not so.” He murmured against her ear. “No other Zelda has drawn me to her the way you do.”

She glanced up at him with wide eyes as he continued. “I think… I have thought a great deal about this – it is something that confuses and perplexes me. You are Princess Zelda, _Wisdom_ , an annoying brat who pokes her nose into my business, disrupts my plans, and has even been the cause of our near destruction. I oughtn’t feel anything for you beyond disdain and hatred. And yet…”

Ganondorf’s eyes were very intense now, and Zelda felt herself sway a little closer to him.

“You are interesting. Your mind is interesting. You make me want to figure you out and see you be a princess once more.”

She smiled, savouring his words, then turned to the rest of the apartment to change the subject. He was… very _intense_. “So… what are our sleeping arrangements?”

A wicked grin draped over Ganondorf’s features then, and he scooped her into his arms and swiftly carried her up the stairs.

Zelda looked up at him with a laugh in the back of her throat. “What are you doing?” She asked, and he grinned down at her.

“Showing you the sleeping arrangements, of course.” He paused at the top of the stairs, letting her take in the platform that held a simply enormous bed, an equally large chest of drawers, a table with a few papers scattered across it, a huge floor pillow, and an ancient looking mannequin that was obviously intended for his armour. His bed was a curious construction – rather than resting on a wooden frame like Hylian beds did, his mattress rested on a woven mat with sheer silk curtains all around to keep out insects. He had an entire mountain of fantastically embroidered pillows arranged against the wall, and the whole thing looked rather cosy and inviting – it would have been perfect if it wasn’t so _hot_.

Ganondorf set her on her feet and gestured at the bed. “Well, this is your bed.”

Zelda smiled up at him. “My bed?” She slipped through the gauzy curtains and sat down, scooting into the middle, before she splayed her hands across the silks beneath her. “It seems a little big for just me. I may have to swap it for something smaller.”

A grin flashed over his features as he advanced upon her, then crawled up to cage her body with his. “Perhaps I have mislead you when I said ‘your’ bed.” He purred into her ear. “It cannot very well be yours if I too share it.”

Zelda snickered a little. “I should hope not; where should you go when I turn you out of _my_ bed?”

Ganondorf chuckled then kissed her lightly. Zelda marvelled at herself; was she _joking?_ Speaking in a teasing manner? She could count the number of times she’d jested with someone in her life on one hand, and here she was being flippant! She could scarcely believe it. Perhaps it was down to her escape from her father. _Yes, that’s it,_ Zelda thought as she sighed against his mouth. She was _free_.

As he lifted her higher up the mattress, he murmured against her lips. “I think you’ll agree that this bed is big enough for the both of us, yes?” He punctuated this statement by pulling her bodice lower and taking a breast into his hand.

“I don’t know.” She gasped with boldness born of giddy excitement. “Perhaps I’ll need proof.”

Ganondorf gave her a wicked grin. “If my lady insists.” He murmured, then bent to take her nipple into his mouth. Zelda wove her fingers into his hair, giving herself over to the sensation of him suckling at her breast, and then a voice penetrated the rapidly increasing fog in her brain.

The voice shouted something rapidly in Gerudo, and Ganondorf pulled back with a curse, and replied shortly. The voice shouted again, joined by a few others, and he sat up, looking unimpressed.

“Well Princess.” He said, pulling her upright and helping her correct her bodice. “Looks like I have to wait until tonight to prove myself to you.”

Zelda smiled, feeling a little embarrassed, and motioned downstairs. “What did they want?”

“For you to come out and introduce yourself, of course. They’re all very curious to meet the Princess of Hyrule.”

Zelda took his hand as Ganondorf stood up, and they walked down the stairs together.

“Ganondorf.” She began slowly. “That is, I hope I may call you that.”

“You may.” He said.

“Thank you. What I wanted to ask was, will there be an opportunity for me to learn Gerudo? I should not like to live here and only be able to speak to one or two people.”

Ganondorf preened, for whatever reason. “I am very pleased that you would want to. I wondered if you might refuse to speak _Ehenív_.”

 _“Eh-hay-niv?”_ Zelda repeated slowly. “Does that mean Gerudo? I thought Gerudo meant Gerudo.”

He chuckled. “It does. _Ehenív_ refers to the Gerudo language, while Gerudo is the name of our people. But, in _Ehenív_ , we would call ourselves _Eheshék_ , or even _Gérudoshék_.”

“I see.” She said carefully. “May I ask you something else? When you were scouting the other day and I was trying to talk to Jaroobi, she and the others kept calling me _Zélda-iva_. What does that mean?”

“It is a sign that they respect you, at least a little. It is your title. In _Ehenív_ , ‘princess’ is spoken as _zayva_. But, when saying ‘Princess Zelda’, you say _Zélda-iva_ instead.”

“So they were just calling me Princess Zelda? Why are the words for ‘princess’ different?”

Ganondorf shrugged. “Why does Hylian have eleven different words for ‘pretentious’? It is just the way our language works.”

Zelda frowned at him. “We don’t have eleven words for ‘pretentious’.”

The Gerudo King’s lips twitched up into a grin. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“But… why would you have thought I would not wish to learn to speak _Ehenív?_ ” She asked, having a fair crack at the foreign word, then cringing slightly inside when his grin turned ugly.

“Because in my experience most Hylian’s who deign mingle with us lowly _Gérudoshék_ demand that we convert to the Hylian language, and not the other way around.”

“But that is ridiculous.” Zelda said. “Would they expect the entirety of Labrynna or Calatia to speak Hylian just for them?”

“That is just my opinion.” He said in a low voice, and then Ganondorf pushed open the curtain-door and Zelda found herself outside once more.

“It hardly seems possible.” She began, shielding her eyes from the glare. “That this sun is the same one that shines down on Hyrule. It is so much brighter, so much warmer here.”

Ganondorf frowned. “I wonder the same thing.” He said shortly, and Zelda gathered this was a topic that irritated him, though she couldn’t imagine why.

Zelda glanced around her, taking in the buildings of the Gerudo fortress. The fortress was set back against a cliff face of jagged rock, and many homes had been carved into the cliff and under the ground, to which Ganondorf informed her was accessible through a labyrinth of tunnels beneath the ground. Where the cliffside ended, enormous walls had been constructed out from it to encircle the exposed city. The streets were winding and long, but streamers hung from the rafters constructed to span the streets – these rafters were covered with brightly woven canvas to provide shade to those living below. The effect was quite lovely –with the rafters, it was not necessary to wear the sun-shielding cloak, and so most women wandered about in just their very small clothing instead.

The Gerudo women all stared at her as they passed, with many little girls pushing each other out of the way to get a better look. Ganondorf walked beside her, pointing out important things and naming them first in Hylian, then in Gerudo while Zelda carefully repeated the foreign words and tried to store them in her brain.

They passed the storerooms, some of which held food while others contained such things as building supplies, weapons, fabric and water. Ganondorf showed her to the training grounds, the stables, the social areas, the meeting place, the crop plantations and the pens of hardy desert goats, which Zelda learned provided nearly all of their meat.

She was occupied in leaning over a low stone fence, stroking the soft nose of a large doe, whose recently born kid was busily suckling from her teats while Ganondorf spoke with the woman who tended this particular flock. Zelda smiled widely as the kid, having finished his meal, wandered over to sniff her fingers and snort, before running off to buck and swerve across the small pen while his mother looked on disapprovingly. Sweet as he was, as a male he was destined for the chopping block, or so Ganondorf said, unless it was decided he was a fine enough specimen to be kept as a full-grown buck for breeding stock.

As she straightened, Zelda noticed the goat woman watching her. The herder’s name was Miloru, and she was small and wiry, much like her charges. Her bright eyes appraised her curiously, and Zelda dipped her gaze, quite unused to the frankness employed in the desert.

Miloru spoke then, evidently to her, and Zelda met Ganondorf’s gaze as he translated. Out of the many, many women she’d met this day, so far only three had any Hylian at all, and theirs was not a fantastic grasp of the language at that. Miloru proved to be another who spoke only her mother tongue.

“She wants to know if you are fond of goats.” Ganondorf translated, and Zelda felt the corner of her lips twitch up.

“I’ve never seen any at close range.” She confessed. “Livestock is but rarely seen amongst the rose gardens, I’m afraid.”

Ganondorf gave a snort of humour and relayed her words to the goat herder, who rolled her eyes but looked cheerful enough, eyeing her with a curious and thoughtful expression. Miloru motioned at her, and Zelda wondered what the woman could be saying as Ganondorf eyed her as well, stroking his beard in a decidedly contemplative fashion.

At length, he switched to Hylian. “Miloru would like to offer your Highness a gift.”

Zelda tilted her head. “A gift? Tell her…” She paused slightly. From the very guarded look in his eye, she could tell he assumed she would disregard any and all gifts the Gerudo could offer her, and he would be extremely offended. “…that I am honoured. Please thank her.”

A curious yet pleased flash lit his golden eyes for a moment. “Thank her when you see it, I think.”

Motioning for them both to follow, Miloru set off, and Zelda fell into place beside her husband, though she did have to take three strides to every one of his. They rounded several small pens and came to a larger one, which to Zelda’s inexperienced eyes, contained simple goats. Ganondorf apparently knew better, and she was soon informed that the yard held Miloru’s milkers. This explained the absence of any kids – they’d already been weaned to preserve the milk for human use. Zelda stood next to the Gerudo King as they watched the woman enter the yard, shooing away many an inquisitive nose as they snuffled at her clothes, obviously searching for a treat. The goats were quiet and well tamed, and it was obvious that Miloru treated them with affection. The woman in question held a length of rope in her hands, and she spent a few minutes examining the does (Ganondorf had previously spent a few minutes explaining the difference between a doe and a buck, giving her the correct terms and showing her how to identify them herself), running her hands along smooth backs and down their legs. Eventually, the rope was slipped around the neck of one of the smaller does, a hardy looking creature – her coat was a deep brown, almost black, though she had speckles of white through her, making her look like she was a chocolate cake dusted with sugar.

Miloru led the doe through the gate, deftly deflecting the escape attempts of the other goats, then led her over to where Zelda and Ganondorf both stood. Zelda had been eyeing these goings on with a small amount of confusion, but when Ganondorf spoke next, the confusion was replaced by pleasure.

“Miloru would give you one of her goats, Zelda.” He explained, waving a hand at the docile creature. “One of her best milkers, too. It would give you something to do to care for the doe – you can learn to milk her, and when you breed her you can have your own stock to sell and slaughter as you choose. When she is shorn you can sell the fibre, or learn to weave it. It’s up to you – should you accept her.” His tone was a little dangerous, and Zelda barely refrained from rolling her eyes. As if she would refuse and insult him like this. In any case, she was pretty excited – it would be like having a pet, and she’d never had anything like that before.

A wide smile spread across her features. “Thank her for me, please. It is a wonderful gift.”

Ganondorf raised a slightly incredulous brow. “You think so?”

“Yes! I did not expect to be thrust into such an industry on my first day here, but I am glad of something to do. One of her best milkers, you said? I am honoured that Miloru would give her to me.”

The Gerudo woman was eying her curiously at the sound of her name, though she smiled when Ganondorf translated. Miloru led the goat forwards and handed her the rope, and Zelda smiled at the woman once more before holding out her hand for the doe to inspect.

“Does she have a name?” She asked, and missed Ganondorf’s nod while stroking the silky nose.

“Tseri.” He said shortly.

“Tseri.” Zelda repeated softly. The goat clearly knew her name, for she shook her head, snorted, and moved forwards to bunt her shoulder, making her laugh. Tseri managed to be tall yet stockily built all at once, with a thick fibrous coat that hung shaggily over her body, her horns curling upwards over intelligent brown eyes. The goat’s nose reached Zelda’s elbow, and she stood quietly, using her tail to swat at flies as they cartwheeled through the air around them.

“Are they not very hot with such a coat?” Zelda asked, running her fingers through the thick fibre. “It seems to me they would be quite warm.”

“They manage.” Said Ganondorf shortly. “The coats are thick, but not heavy. Their wool makes for light materials.”

Zelda nodded in understanding as she fondled Tseri’s soft ears happily. “Where will I keep her?”

“There is a small courtyard to the side of my quarters.” He said, turning speak briefly to Miloru. “It will be simple enough to pen her there.”

Heart warmed at the prospect of responsibility, Zelda let Ganondorf lead her on – Tseri would be delivered tomorrow or the next day, after a suitable pen had been constructed. He spent the rest of the day showing her around the fortress, and when night fell, prepared their evening meal himself, which rather surprised her. Zelda had not envisioned him as a cook, but as she watched him cutting meat and humming to himself as he presided over the cooking pot on their newly shared hearth, she decided it fitted him.

Zelda knew that he was a prideful man, but somehow, his action here did not show a lack of dignity or pride, the way her father cooking his own meals would have – it showed his culture, his humility, though of course, in other aspects, he didn’t appear to have a great deal of that particular virtue. It was… a puzzle, she considered thoughtfully over her bowl of something called a curry, made from goat flesh, desert legumes and spice, served with a bowl of something similar to unsweetened yoghurt, which Zelda learned was made daily from fresh goats milk. It was very different to what she was used to, and though the spice rather made her feel like her tongue was on fire, the flavour was good, and certainly very interesting. Once the meal was over, Ganondorf insisted she assist him in tidying up the remnants, and so she did, and once that was over, they retired to bed.

And so passed Zelda’s first day in the valley.


	8. Trust Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda begins to settle into life in the desert, and then Ganondorf goes and puts his foot in his mouth in a pretty amazing if ridiculous fashion.
> 
> Contains a NSFW scene!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to gerudoshikyapril.tumblr.com, who developed the Gerudo language used in this fic!

When Zelda awoke the next morning, it was to find herself alone in their bed, but a quick look around saw Ganondorf brushing his hair before his washstand.

“Ah, you’re awake.” He said once he realised she was watching him. “Come on, it’s time to get ready.”

Zelda slipped from beneath the covers and stretched. “For anything in particular…?”

“Your fittings.” He said, reaching for a bottle of oil and beginning to rub it into his crimson strands. “Your coronation will be held in a fortnight, and you need to have appropriate attire.”

Zelda stopped what she was doing and stared. “…Coronation?” She asked faintly.

“Ganondorf turned to face her then. “It isn’t an exact translation; Hylian doesn’t have a word to describe it properly. But you’re my Queen now, and as such, you need to be inducted into the tribe. You’ll be made _Gérudoshék_.”

Zelda tried out a smile. “I’d be honoured.”

The ghost of a grin turned his lips. “Good.”

“What will happen?” She asked curiously.

“We’ll all meet at _Va Navuhsa Shimaba_ -” At her confused look he elaborated. “The Spirit Temple. Once there, the priestesses of our Lady will begin the ceremony. There’ll be some chants, some prayers, and all you have to do is sit there, but later on you’ll be called to our sacred font. The font contains water from the _Eheyar_ , and the head priestess will scoop water into a chalice and hand it to you. You have two choices; drink and be named _Latifa_ of the _Eheshék_ , or pour it out onto the ground and reject your title.”

Zelda blinked, astonished. “Why is there even an option to tip it out?”

Ganondorf chuckled. “It’s ceremonial, Princess. Its just to represent you have a choice to become Queen, and you have made your choice. The water being symbolic in that water is precious to us. To willingly waste a drop from the sacred font is sacrilege.”

Her curiosity got the better of her. “Has anyone ever tipped the water out?”

“Never.” He said, giving her a suspicious look. “It is a great honour to be made Queen.”

She nodded. “Understandable. When you say _fittings_ , do you mean the kind of clothing Jaroobi and the others wear?”

Ganondorf walked over to his chest of drawers and began rifling through it. “Similar, but not quite. What they’ve been wearing are travelling clothes; you’ll be in ceremonial robes. You’ll have everyday clothes made as well; you can’t wear those gowns here. They’re too impractical.”

Zelda looked down at the gown she held in her hands as she pulled it from her trunk. “It will certainly feel peculiar to wear trousers.”

Ganondorf chuckled. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I suppose I will.” Rifling through her trunk once more, Zelda rocked back on her heels, clutching the silk of her robe tighter around her. “Will I have somewhere to put my belongings…?”

He turned around and eyed her trunks thoughtfully. “Yes. The only reason you’ve not already unpacked is because I didn’t expect to return with a wife, so nothing’s prepared. Over the next few days I’ll sort things out so you can unpack.”

Zelda nodded, then wrinkled her nose. “I’ve… never actually unpacked anything in my life.”

Ganondorf’s lips twitched. “Sheltered little princess.” He said, voice teasing, and Zelda felt her smile slip.

“Its not my fault.” She whispered, and his grin faded.

“I wasn’t insulting you, Zelda.” His voice deepened as he walked over and held out his hand. “Come with me.”

Shyly slipping her hand into his, Zelda let him lead her back to their bed, where he pulled her down to sit beside him.

“I want you to be happy here.” Ganondorf said very intently, his golden gaze intense and genuine – or so she thought. Zelda could see the slightest shadow behind his eyes – her upbringing had left her with a razor precision for detecting insincerity. “I mean it.”

“You don’t.” Zelda said quietly – she _couldn’t_ believe him. “Why would you?”

Ganondorf’s lips thinned. “Because like it or not, you’re my wife now. If I have to live with you, I’d rather you were at least halfway cheerful.” He snapped, and Zelda immediately pulled away from his grip, shooting to her feet and moving to stand beside the wall, facing the bricks and twisting her fingers in an attempt not to cry.

Ganondorf could have kicked himself – he was moving too fast for her. Not only did he have to control his temper, it was only her first day here; too soon for any sort of declarations, heartfelt or not. It was clear she had significant trust issues, and his wanting her to trust him wasn’t going to get anywhere fast if he pushed her. He wanted her to trust him, wanted her to feel genuine affection for the Gerudo. Just think on the progress that could be made by having the opportunity to mould the Princess of Hyrule into someone who felt sincerely about his people! It was he wanted most out of this marriage – that Zelda would come to respect the Gerudo.

She was so insecure, so self-doubting and affection starved, he knew the easiest way to get what he wanted would be to show her the differences between here and Hyrule, to let her know she could let her walls down and shed her apprehensive and self-conscious nature. With the way Zelda was now, so timid and uncertain, Ganondorf knew he could get her to open up by showing her affection – look at how she reacted to when he held her, touched her. Her eyes, so full of doubt and mistrust and yet sheer joy and hope – he wanted to see her look at him without that hesitance.

Thinking back to how Harkinian treated her, Ganondorf realised that Zelda simply didn’t know how to handle the slightest negative emotion directed at her – she took the smallest thing as a major fault on her part, which meant he needed to take far more care when dealing with her.

A shaky, shuddering breath from her corner drew his attention – she was on the verge of tears just from _that_. Ganondorf frowned and stood up, walking silently over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She made a fearful noise and tried to shy away, but he turned her and pulled her into his chest. Zelda froze for a long second, but then she let out a muffled sob and curled her fingers into his chest hair as she pressed herself closer.

He held her silently for a long minute, stroking her tousled blonde hair soothingly as she tried to control her breathing – once she was calmer he drew back slightly to appraise her.

“I’m sorry.” She got out, voice trembling. “I didn’t mean-”

Ganondorf’s breath escaped in a rush –was she _apologising_ because _he’d_ made her cry?

“Don’t apologise.” He interrupted. “You’ve nothing to say sorry for.”

Zelda looked confused, her lower lip trembling slightly in that way he’d come to realise signified she was truly terrified of what someone was going to say, and he hastened to explain.

“Zelda, I want you to be happy here; its very important to me that you should see my culture as we truly are, and I want you to take pleasure in being part of that.” He measured the look on her face and ploughed on. “I want you to be a part of things here, not an outsider.”

“Really?” She whispered, eyes wide and hopeful. It was quite sad, actually, that she’d been reduced to this. Ganondorf made another mental note to end Harkinian quite painfully at some point.

“Really.” He confirmed, lifting a hand to wipe away a crystal tear poised on her lashes. “That is, if you will.”

She smiled – a shaky smile, but a smile nonetheless. “I’ve been an outsider amongst my own people all my life – I’d be mad to say no to a chance like this.”

 _Perfect_.

Ganondorf fought to control his smug grin – he was right. She was so starved of any kind of attention she’d be positively _easy_ to manipulate – but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to manipulate her anymore. Zelda was sweet and certainly beautiful – and she was different. Totally without artifice or guile, she was intelligent, and he knew had her father not kept knowledge from her she’d be exactly as wise as Wisdom proclaimed her to be. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t wise now – her wisdom just came in a different form. Alienated from court machinations, she wasn’t cold and perfectly smooth, her face an icy mask as she manipulated things from behind a insincere smile, as so many Zelda’s had in the past – no, Ganondorf realised as far as Zelda’s went, he was rather fond of this one.

“I’m glad.” He murmured softly, brushing her hair back. Impulsively, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her temple. “Now get dressed. We’ve a busy day ahead of us.”

The smile she gave him then was so impossibly sweet he nearly lost his head altogether and took her back to bed – with a great deal of difficulty he crossed to his chest of drawers to continue dressing. When they were both respectable and had eaten, Ganondorf led Zelda outside. The harsh sun reflected off her golden diadem until she was wincing and blinking, and he reached out and took it off her head, pushing it into her hands.

“You’ll blind yourself wearing that in early sun.” He said, amused, and Zelda managed a smile back, her silk skirts whipping up the dust as they walked.

“Our destination is… well, _you’d_ call her a seamstress, I suppose.” He explained. “Her name is Tirao, and she makes most of my clothing.”

Zelda nodded. “I’m quite excited, actually.” She admitted, a smile on her face. “It’ll certainly be a new experience to wear _trousers_.”

Ganondorf grinned. “Good – that’ll make adjusting easier.”

They reached Tirao’s after a few more minutes and he knocked on the doorframe.

 _“Zhav, Zhav!”_ Came a voice from inside, so he held the curtain aside for Zelda.

Tirao was seated at her workbench, stitching something while her small daughter played in some fabric scraps. The tailor stood up and smiled in welcome.

“ _Ganondorf-ti, Da yanæ!”_ She said warmly, moving around her laden workspace.

 _“Da musti,_ Tirao.” He said in reply, then turned to Zelda and spoke in Hylian.

“Zelda, this is Tirao.” He then reverted back to _Ehenív_. “Ti, this is _Zélda-iva_ , and she needs some new clothes.”

Tirao nodded, her brows raised as she inspected Zelda’s attire. “By the Lady! She certainly does.”

Zelda tilted her head as she appraised the Gerudo seamstress. Tall and willowy with her red hair scraped back from her face and plaited down her back, Tirao looked like she meant business.

 _“Sogon, kaf ísk!”_ The woman said, clucking her tongue disapprovingly, and Zelda furrowed her brow and looked at Ganondorf for a translation.

“She thinks your dress is ugly.” He said with a grin, and Zelda frowned again as he spoke in Gerudo once more, evidently outlining what he wanted made for her, for Tirao picked up an ink brush and began to write some things down.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Zelda inquired as to what exactly was being made for her.

“You’ll get some everyday clothes – trousers, tops, undergarments, leg wraps and gloves, that kind of thing, and then she’ll fit you for your ceremonial robes. After this is over, we have to get you a decent pair of shoes. Those silk slipper things you wear will be ruined before the week is out.”

Zelda smiled as Tirao pulled out a tape measure. “This _is_ exciting.”

There was some confusion at first, for initially Ganondorf was to be kicked out for the fitting, but if he went, then there was no way for Tirao to tell Zelda what she wanted – so the compromise was Ganondorf sitting on the floor with his back to them, translating every sentence dutifully as Tirao’s toddler showed him her favourite fabric pieces.

The first port of call was choosing the style of bodice, and Zelda ran her eye over the different types of top being laid out before her – she didn’t actually know yet what Tirao was doing with them.

“She wants to know which bodice you’d prefer.” Called Ganondorf after Tirao said something. “You can choose how much midriff you want to show.”

“None, preferably,” Was her kneejerk reaction, and Ganondorf chuckled as Zelda moved forwards to inspect the different styles. Some of them were so revealing she could hardly believe it, mere pieces of binding for the breasts, like what Tirao currently wore, but others had more substance to them. The style she eventually selected was stiffly constructed, like a bodice from her gowns, only smaller. Tirao made her strip down to her chemise, frowning intently at all the different layers of Hylian silk’s she wore, and put it on her. The proportions were all wrong, of course, but Zelda liked this style the best. It covered her breasts with a similar neckline to her gown, but then the bodice stopped with the pointed end just covering her belly button rather than reaching to her waist. It was like a shrunken corset without boning, and it similarly didn’t have any sleeves. After asking Ganondorf if sleeves could be added, Tirao came up with some wispy, gauzy material that left her shoulders bare but reached her elbows. It was a far cry from the kind of sleeves she’d _expected_ , but Zelda supposed it was better than nothing.

The trouser fitting didn’t come with as many options – Zelda discovered via Ganondorf that she’d be getting two kinds of pants – one that was poufy to the knees and then tight around her calves, which she was informed were travelling pants – knee length boots would be worn over the top. The second style were daily trousers for fortress wear – these poufed all the way to her ankles and were worn with informal shoes. Once Tirao had unceremoniously stripped her chemise off (an act Zelda had been in no way prepared for as she looked at tops) and had her dressed in the too big bodice and poufy trousers, Zelda was steered over to a mirror, where she got to see the very strange sight of herself in Gerudo wear while Tirao measured various bits and pieces of her, pinning things here and there. After a while, both her fittings for her casual wear and her ceremonial robes were complete, and after asking Ganondorf how to thank someone in Gerudo and bidding farewell to Tirao and her daughter, they were off to her next appointment – shoes.

By this time, the sun was high and Zelda was sweating as she walked along, trying to stick to the shade. She’d forgone her corset this morning but was still boiling hot, alternating between twisting her diadem in her hands, fanning herself and wiping her face free of moisture. She was still being stared at, with small groups of children running up to point and giggle before fleeing. All around her, Gerudo women bustled with activity – she saw one wheeling a barrow filled with some sort of legume, some who were clearly guards, some carrying small children, some mending a crack in a wall, and more still making a purchase at the market.

“Ganondorf, is there something I can drink?” She asked, throat parched as she fanned herself. “I’m not used to this heat.”

Ganondorf nodded and bought her to a popular vendor selling what looked like misshapen lumps of some sort of plant. After Ganondorf handed over a rupee, Zelda watched in fascination as the woman picked up a lump and a large blade, then sliced the top clean off, revealing a hollow inside filled with some sort of liquid.

“Drink up.” Said Ganondorf, handing her the thing. “It’s very refreshing.”

Zelda took an experimental sip – the flavour was like nothing she’d ever tasted, but it wasn’t bad. “It’s not terrible.” She said, drinking some more. “But what is it?”

He grinned. “It’s the fruit from a desert plant, called a bzaha bush. If you find one while lost in the desert you can be assured of living a little while longer. The inside flesh is edible too, but it’s a bit sour on its own – we prefer to cook it. It makes a good sweet stew.”

Zelda nodded and drank deeply, quenching her thirst. When she was done, she wiggled the empty husk in the air. “What do I do with it?” She asked.

Ganondorf pointed. “See that bin over there?” Sure enough, Zelda spotted a large crate like contraption. “There’s lots of them scattered about – every day they are emptied of food waste and used to fertilise our crops.”

Zelda nodded. “What a good idea! We don’t do that in Hyrule.”

“I know.” Ganondorf’s tone was rather smug at that, and Zelda headed over to throw away her empty bzaha fruit. Drink detour complete, the tour of the fortress continued, until they finally ended up at the cobblers, which turned out to be less of a building and more of an open shack. This woman, Milare, turned out to be very large and imposing – Zelda blinked in shock at the muscle tone of her arms and torso. She’d never seen a woman this muscular up close before. Milare was busy hammering a nail into leather when they walked in, and she looked up, muscles ripping as she wiped the sweat from her brow. If Zelda had thought it was hot outside in the sun… well. There was a fire to the left of her which Milare obviously used for her trade, and Zelda tried to stand as far away from it as she could manage.

A woman of few words, Milare directed her through Ganondorf, and Zelda was bade sit, remove her stockings and shoes and hike up her dress, where the woman took her measurements. Zelda was shown the style of shoes she’d receive, and then they were shown out.

“That was very brief.” Zelda remarked as they walked back through the streets.

Ganondorf laughed. “She neither trusts nor likes you, Princess. Milare holds no great love for Hylians.”

“Oh.” Nerves twisted her belly, and Zelda looked up at him anxiously. “Are there many here who feel that way?”

“A few.”

She chewed her lip nervously, and Ganondorf picked up on it. “So long as you give them no reason to dislike you, Princess, they’ll come around. They mightn’t like Hylians, but they can like _you_.”

“You don’t know that.” Zelda said, twisting her fingers together.

“But I do.” Ganondorf’s voice lowered. “After all, didn’t _I_ do just that?”

Her lips fell open and she inhaled softly. Did he really mean it? He couldn’t. It wasn’t possible. Despite her doubts, she couldn’t help her smile.

By the time they returned to his quarters, Ganondorf knew the heat was getting to her. Zelda was quiet now, reserving her energy for walking as she leaned heavily on his arm, and she was flushed dark pink all over, limp strands of hair sticking to sweaty skin. The moment they were in the door he steered her over to a chair and began undressing her – she wasn’t used to such exertion in this kind of heat, and he needed to cool her down. Zelda tried to feebly bat his hands away, but her lethargic movements only hurried his movements. Stripping her of her shoes and stockings, her gown and petticoats, he strode towards his water reserve, leaving her clad only in her thin chemise, now stuck to her body with sweat. Returning with cool water for both of them, he sipped his while helping Zelda drink, then fanned her for a while with her fan, until the flush to her cheeks lightened and there was clarity to her eyes once more.

“Feeling any better?” He asked, and she nodded, as a slightly sheepish smile crawling to her lips.

“Much, thank you.” Zelda’s voice was soft.

“You must tell me when you aren’t feeling well, Zelda.” He admonished. “It was my fault, of course; I shouldn’t have kept you out so long when you aren’t used to it, but you must tell me in future. Heat sickness is nothing to joke about.”

She nodded. “I will. I just… I didn’t think it’d be quite that bad.”

Ganondorf grinned and stood up. “It gets worse, but don’t worry. We’ll build you up a tolerance.” He chuckled at her grimace then scooped her into his arms and carried her upstairs. “Use the water in the pitcher there to clean yourself up – you’re very sweaty. I’ll make something to eat.” As he started heading down the stairs again, he called over his shoulder. “You won’t be going outside again today, so put something _cool_ on. One of those chemise things.”

By the time she was downstairs again, he’d just finished plating up their lunch and looked up in approval to see her barefoot and dressed in a clean chemise.

“It’s very strange to walk about barefoot.” She confided – the look on her face was like that of a child taking untold amounts of glee in doing something naughty. “I feel _very_ underdressed.”

“Heh. You look good.” This was no lie; chemise’s seemed to be built for thinness rather than for coverage – her nipples were quite visible. Zelda turned pink at his comment and the direction of his gaze and sat down in a rush. Their meal was spent in companionable conversation, and Ganondorf found himself being continually surprised at how easy it was to talk to her – and he _liked_ it. After tidying up, he led her upstairs to clear spaces for his belongings.

“Take everything out of your trunks and put them on the bed so I can see what kind of things you have.” He told her, then headed over to examine his drawers. Once Zelda had all her clothes out, he immediately realised that with all this plus the clothing Tirao was making for her, it wouldn’t fit in with all this belongings as well.

“I’ll have to get another chest.” He said, stroking his beard. “Stay here, I’ll be back in a bit.”

Zelda kept unpacking while Ganondorf was gone, sorting her clothing into piles by type, then checking her jewel case, her dressing case and her toiletries – it would be a bit of a disaster if any of those bottles had leaked. Fortunately, none had, and by the time Ganondorf returned, she had everything unpacked, she just needed to put it away.

He walked up the stairs carrying what looked to be a washstand, and the other hand was resting on a chest of drawers that floated behind him as he guided it. The chest was far smaller than his, evidently having been made for a regular human sized person, and Ganondorf spent some minutes rearranging various items to make room for it. Eventually, her new chest of drawers stood beside his, with his potted plant in the middle, and her new washstand stood next to his. He made another trip and came back with a small table, stool and mirror, which was to be her dressing table, and Zelda spent a happy time sorting through her various bottles and arranging them while Ganondorf put himself in charge of putting away her clothes.

“Who’s this?” Came the eventual question, and Zelda turned around to see Ganondorf holding her mother’s portrait, which he’d unwrapped.

“That’s my mother.” She said, walking to his side to lightly touch the ornate gold frame, smiling softly at the stately blonde woman peering out from the canvas. “I wonder if Papa’s noticed it’s gone yet.”

Ganondorf snickered. “Did you steal it?”

“I did.” Zelda grinned up at him. “I asked Papa if I could have it, but he said no, so I took it anyway. I wanted something to remember her by, and it is my favourite portrait of her. Luckily for me, it’s not too huge, either.”

“Was it hung in your rooms?”

“In the portrait hall. That’s why I feel like someone might have noticed it’s missing by now.”

Ganondorf snickered lightly, and she felt a small thrill of fear that he wouldn’t let her hang it –

“Lets put it downstairs.” He said finally, placing it back in its wrapping. “Wouldn’t want your mother witnessing the kinds of things I want to do to you at night.”

Zelda flushed bright pink. “Oh – I – um… I suppose?”

He snickered again and brushed a hand down her back to curve over her backside, then turned back to her clothes.

Once everything was put away and her trunks taken downstairs, Ganondorf took her back upstairs, where he lay down on his bed and patted the space next to her.

“You can’t be tired.” She said with a grin, sitting down beside him as he reclined in his cushions, hands behind his head.

“It’s the middle of the day.” Ganondorf replied comfortably, closing his eyes. “The hottest time is noon, so most of us nap or do something to relax and wait out the heat.”

“I see.”

Zelda went and got a book to read, settling down on her stomach beside him, and Ganondorf snorted and reached out, trying to swat the book from her hands.

“ _Sleep_.” He grunted, and Zelda made a face.

“I couldn’t sleep in the middle of the day. I’m not used to it.”

He wrinkled his nose at her and settled back against his cushions. “Suit yourself.”

Zelda passed a pleasant hour as she waited for Ganondorf to wake up, and she soon tired of her book. Taking the opportunity to look around without him breathing down her neck, she spent some time poking around in his belongings. He had many knickknacks propped on various surfaces, many fairly new, some indescribably ancient. Weapons too – many a sword and things she had no name for were hung on the walls. Zelda picked up a small carved figure – made from some kind of wood, it was carved in the shape of a woman, and was clearly very old, for in some places the details had been worn smooth from handling. She slid her fingers down the high ponytail of the woman, admiring the way the separate strands had been etched into the timber, then turned it around to see the rest of it.

“She was my Queen once.”

Zelda nearly jumped out of her skin; she whirled around, heart in her throat and skittered backwards as she registered Ganondorf’s presence behind her. She nearly dropped the figure in her fright, but caught it just in time. Then, his words caught up to her.

“Your Queen?” Zelda looked down at the figurine. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to – I was just looking.”

Ganondorf took the small carving from her, looking at it for a long moment. “She lived a long time ago.” He set the figure back in its place, then gestured at all his collection. “All these things are tokens of remembrance. See this?” He motioned towards a faded silk painting, roughly the size of her palm. “One of my birth mothers painted this for me. I’ve kept it for hundreds of years. And this-” He picked up an old brass spoon. “A daughter. She died when she was four.”

“My condolences.” Zelda whispered, and Ganondorf’s eyes darkened a touch.

“What’s four years to the six hundred that have passed since she did?”

“What was her name?” Asked Zelda, reverting to a safer question when she couldn’t quite come up with an answer.

“Avila. She was bitten by a serpent. Died a few hours later.”

“I’m so sorry.” Zelda murmured again, daring to brush her fingers over his.

Ganondorf set the spoon back in its place. “It’s fine. I’ve had a long time to deal with it.” He took her hand then and led her back over to the bed. “Aren’t you hot?” He inquired, and Zelda just knew he was changing the subject on purpose. “Your hair, I mean.”

Zelda reached up and dragged her half-braid over her shoulder. “My neck is very warm.” She admitted, and Ganondorf’s lips curled into a half grin before he loped over to his washstand and returned with a comb and some oil, as well as a small box.

“Turn around.” He said, and Zelda obeyed dutifully.

“What are you doing?” She asked, and he answered by undoing her plait and dropping her fastener in her lap.

“I’m doing your hair.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re sweating from having all this sitting on your neck.” He said matter-of-factly. “Now stay still.”

Zelda grinned to herself at the novelty of having him brush and oil her hair – she soon became very relaxed from the rhythmic strokes of the comb, and then he began to style it. He divided her hair in three and braided the sides close to her scalp, then swept the rest of her hair up atop her head to rest in a very high style – the highest she’d ever had. She wasn’t exactly sure how he fastened the high ponytail, but when he declared himself finished, Zelda stood up and headed over to the nearest mirror to see the change. He’d left her customary side wraps in place, but now instead of the long half-braid, she had a very high ponytail, and then her attention was captured by the golden band encircling the base of her hair. It was very similar to the bands the other Gerudo used to fasten their hair, ornately styled in gold and set with a large topaz, but hers was set with a sapphire. Zelda reached up and touched it softly, then turned to face Ganondorf, who’d come up behind her.

“I had the topaz replaced with a sapphire I had lying around, and picked it up this morning. A topaz wouldn’t match your diadem.” His gaze turned intense. “A gift for my Queen. Welcome to the desert.”

Zelda smiled up at him. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.” She murmured, touching it again. She went to speak once more, but then Ganondorf frowned.

“Wait.” He said. “Your diadem – it covers part of your forehead, doesn’t it?”

Zelda frowned but nodded. “A little, yes. Why-?”

Ganondorf swore and rubbed the back of his neck. “Your coronation – ordinarily a new Queen would be gifted with a new headdress… but I won’t ask you to give up your diadem.” He frowned harder. “But you can’t go without… and now I’ve given you your hair fastener already…”

Zelda pondered for a moment. “You could always use a pendant.” She offered. “I mean… if you so happened to have another sapphire somewhere around, it would match. It wouldn’t have quite the same effect as a headdress, but it’d still be a decent enough symbol, don’t you think?”

His brow cleared. “ _Brilliant_ idea, Princess. You stay here – if we want this done before your ceremony I have to speak to the goldsmiths fast.” With that, he was headed down the stairs and out the door.

Zelda stared bemusedly after him, then shrugged slightly and turned back to the mirror. She rather liked the effect having her hair up so high gave her – and Ganondorf was right. It was much cooler.

Running her hands through her long hair, she pulled it over her shoulder – it was odd having it without a plait at the bottom, and it seemed a bit shorter to her, but there was a breeze on her neck now, so she wasn’t going to complain.

It felt most peculiar to be walking around barefoot and in her chemise, and despite Ganondorf’s commenting on the fact he could see her nipples (and didn’t object) being very embarrassing, it was rather freeing at the same time. She wandered around some more, looking at his things but staying away from his knickknacks – now she knew how precious they were to him she refused to accidentally break one. Zelda went downstairs, the stone cool beneath her feet, and went over to the water reserve to pour herself a drink. She sipped the lovely cool water slowly, going and sitting down on the floor pillow to think things over.

When Ganondorf came back, he was carrying a bundle. “Tirao saw me passing by and called me over.” He explained. “She knows your dresses would be uncomfortable here, so she collected a few other women who sew and quickly altered some of the things she had lying around for you so you don’t melt before the rest are done.”

Zelda grinned. “How kind of her.” She stood up and wandered over to him, placing her glass down so she could examine her new clothes.

“Go try them on.”

“Okay.” Zelda grabbed the bundle and scuttled upstairs, dropping the clothes on the bed to look at them. The bodice was just like the one she’d tried on at Tirao’s home, with the pointed end just reaching her belly button. Made of stiff fabric in plain cream, it was bare of any decoration, embroidered or otherwise. The bare patches of skin visible around her midriff made her feel exceedingly odd, but what was really strange was the trousers. Billowing from a tight belt around her waist to her ankles, where tight bands fastened them around her ankles, and the sensation of having fabric between her legs was _exceedingly_ strange. She twisted and turned in front of the mirror, fascinated with the woman in the mirror before her. It was strange, but she quite liked it.

Ganondorf had poured himself a drink and was sipping on it when footsteps behind him alerted him to Zelda’s presence. He turned around then froze, eyes widening as he took her in. She looked… so unlike a Princess Zelda it was almost mad. To see her dressed in Gerudo clothing, a wide and excited smile on her face, even her hair up like a Gerudo would wear it… it stirred something in him.

“What do you think?” She asked, coming closer as she did so, her smile only widening. “Do you like it?”

Ganondorf slung his drink onto a table, strode forwards and scooped her into his arms.

“ _Oh_ – Ganondorf – what are you-”

He interrupted her question by pinning her against the wall and pressing his lips to hers. Zelda made another squeak of surprise, but after another long moment her body relaxed and her fingers threaded into his hair as he hungrily devoured her mouth. Zelda opened on a gasp as Ganondorf ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, and then she moaned when he found her tongue with his. By now he was settled between her legs, grinding himself against her as he kissed her fiercely, his arousal growing with every little enticing whimper that passed her lips.

“I like it.” He murmured into her throat, nipping and licking at her tender skin. Zelda made a very aroused noise, tilting her head back for easier access, and Ganondorf decided to hell with self-control. He tugged at her belt, loosening it so he could slip his hand down the front of her trousers, relishing her gasp when he found her wetness. “In fact, I like it a lot. I’m afraid even though you’ve just put these on, you’re going to have to take them off again.”

Zelda smiled, then very tentatively traced her tongue over the shell of his ear. “I’m not exactly complaining.” She murmured softly, and Ganondorf growled and turned, taking her lips as he headed towards the stairs. He shouldered his way through the curtains surrounding his bed and laid her softly down so he could nip at her throat, then froze as a thought occurred to him.

“Zelda.”

“Hmm?” She smiled up at him, though the pleasantly aroused look in her eyes was slowly fading as she registered his change of mood. “Ganondorf? What’s wrong?”

“You’re doing this because you _want_ to, aren’t you?” He asked flatly, his ardour killed instantly by this unpleasant thought. “Not because you think it’s your duty to lie with your husband?”

Zelda turned pink and looked away, and he sighed disgustedly, pushing himself up and off her to sit on the edge of the bed. A soft touch to his hand made him look around, and he saw Zelda kneeling beside him, her expression sweet though hesitant.

“The first time… yes.” She said softly. “I didn’t particularly want to sleep with anyone, but I knew I couldn’t refuse consummating our marriage.”

Ganondorf went to object, but she stopped him.

“But… I was surprised at how – _enjoyable_ it was.” Her voice was soft and her face was pink with embarrassment. “So I wouldn’t exactly say I think of it as a duty. Not now that you’ve made it pleasurable for me.”

His ego perked up at that. “Heh. So I singlehandedly convinced you, did I?” Ganondorf teased, twisting around and brushing his fingers over her cheek.

Zelda looked even more embarrassed. “You… could say that.” She whispered, and he gripped her waist and pulled her into his lap, centring her warmth over his cock.

“Well, I’m glad of that.”

She smiled up at him, her fingers settling on his shoulders. “It’s very strange to me.” She breathed. “That you would ask me how I feel. My thoughts have never mattered before.”

The most perfect thing to say hit him then. If this didn’t get Zelda to trust him he wasn’t sure what would. “Your thoughts matter to me.” He said quietly, watching as Zelda’s eyes widened, and then she threw herself forwards, burying her face in his chest. He thought for a long moment she was going to start crying, but she didn’t. She took a few deep, shuddering breaths while he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, and then she looked up, eyes swimming with gratitude. He barely refrained from smirking. It was _working_.

“Thank you.” She whispered fervently.

Ganondorf traced a thumb over her bottom lip, preening inside. No one could say he didn’t know how to seduce a woman. “Anything…” He purred. “For my Queen.”

Zelda’s eyes drifted closed, a serene smile on her lips, and he knew she most likely experiencing many contrasting feelings; to be deprived of all affection for most of her life and then be confronted with someone who apparently cared would be very strange for her. Ganondorf took a moment to marvel over how unguarded her heart was; with the merest kind words, he was managing to overcome all her defences.

_And I could so easily destroy her._

The thought made him start, and Ganondorf frowned at himself even as he kept tracing Zelda’s lips.

_Do I want to destroy her?_

_Yes._

The word came to his lips so easily.

But… maybe he didn’t have to this time. He cursed the conflicted feelings swirling in his breast.

_Do I want to destroy her?_

_No._

That… sounded better. _Nicer_. Suddenly, Ganondorf could see himself, _really_ see himself living here with Zelda as his Queen, as the mother of his children. The thought made him pause – he’d been visiting her bed for nearly a month now, and he’d always been very virile. She might be pregnant even now. The thought made an unexpected warmth flow through him, and then he knew he had to have her for his own.

Tilting her chin up, he leaned down to very softly press his lips to hers, and Zelda’s eyes fluttered open as she sighed against his mouth. Need erupted through him once more, and Ganondorf deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue past her soft lips to tangle with hers. Zelda made a needy sound in the back of her throat, and he growled against her mouth, hands gripping her hips to grind her down over his cock.

_“Ah-”_

Zelda’s little noises were swiftly becoming addictive, and Ganondorf slid his hand back down between her legs, sliding two fingers inside her and grinning at the jerk of her hips and subsequent moan. Finding her clit with his thumb, he timed the movements with his fingers inside her, relishing the look on her face as she tipped her head back, nails digging into his arms as she circled her hips against his hand. Sliding his free hand behind her back to pull her closer, Ganondorf leaned down to nibble at her ear, tugging her lobe softly then nipping it with pointed teeth.

“Come for me, Zelda.” He purred in her ear, upping his movements and holding her steady as her wails grew louder. “Come all over my fingers.”

There was a deep flush travelling over her skin, and then he suckled lightly over her pulse point for a long moment, pressing harder against her clit as he repeated his words, and then Zelda gave a shuddering cry and exploded on his hand, pulsing around his fingers.

He growled slightly in his need as he waited for Zelda to come back to herself, and when she blinked and looked up at him, a blissful smile on her face, Ganondorf moved her further up the bed, pulling her trousers off then tugging her bodice down so he could take a nipple into his mouth. She moaned and threaded her fingers into his hair, holding him tightly against her, and then, too impatient and aroused to hold off any longer, Ganondorf ripped her bodice off then shoved his trousers down, freeing his hard cock.

Zelda spread her legs and reached for him, and Ganondorf took a moment to savour the sight of her, his hand tight around his shaft. Settling in between her thighs, he leaned down to take her lips, guiding his cock with his hand as he entered her, groaning softly and relishing her cry. He rocked his hips slowly against her, her tight heat almost overpowering him. Zelda was whimpering against his mouth, arching her hips against his, and then she hooked her legs around his waist, making them both groan at the added depth.

He sped up his movements, thrusting into her hard and fast, swallowing her cries and pulling her closer. Abruptly, Ganondorf pushed himself upright, gripping her thighs and spreading them wider before he lowered one hand to her clit, relishing the way her body jerked around his cock. Zelda whimpered and moaned as he massaged her most sensitive spot, her hands digging into the pillows beside her head as he watched her breasts bounce in time to his thrusts, and Ganondorf snarled with the need for his release. He fucked her harder, rubbing her clit faster and growled as she bucked around him; she was close, but not quite there yet. Gritting his teeth against the need boiling in his blood, Ganondorf sped up again, moving slightly so the angle of penetration changed; Zelda went stiff, and as he slammed into her again and again, she finally shattered, convulsing around him with such pressure he couldn’t help but find his release within hers.

He rolled off her and onto his back, blinking hard at the ceiling for a long moment as the pleasure receded, and then turned to find out where Zelda was. She was lying beside him, a rather dazed expression on her face, and as he slid a hand to her hip, she rolled over, fitting herself nicely against his chest.  
“Good?” He murmured in question, nipping at her ear, and Zelda managed a muffled sound of agreement as she wiggled closer, pressing her cheek to his chest, her lashes fluttering closed. With the pleasure of his release still burning through his blood, he chuckled slightly. She did enjoy it. She liked it a lot, and that meant… he was getting through her defences. Maybe.

He had to know.

“You’re very sweet.” He murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, letting his cockiness that _of course_ his plan was working get the better of him, his ego swelling until he really couldn’t see any way that this would backfire. “I could see myself falling for you.”

Zelda froze.

Very slowly, she raised her face from his chest. “What?” She asked slowly.

Still caught up in his belief that he was earning her trust and this was the best way to go about it – and why wouldn’t it be? She was starved of affection, so to give it to her would surely endear him to her – Ganondorf brushed his fingers over her cheek. “I could.” He whispered. “You’re beautiful, and I-”

“No.”

He frowned. That was not quite the response he’d expected. “No?”

She shook her head, and he realised with alarm there were tears gathering in her eyes.

“No! Don’t – don’t say that.”

“Zelda, what-”

“ _Don’t._ Don’t say it when you don’t mean it.”

He attempted damage control. “I do mean it, Zelda-”

_“No!”_

She pushed herself backwards then, almost falling off the bed as she tried to run away. Ganondorf watched her, a sinking feeling in his stomach. Maybe that had not been the smartest thing to say. _But why not?_

Feeling beyond confused, Ganondorf launched himself out of bed, catching up to her at the bottom of the stairs. At his grip on her wrist, Zelda crumpled to the floor, sobbing into her hands, and he knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her – _why was she crying?_

“Zelda.” He murmured, trying to get her to relax. She was so stiff in his arms, he could tell she didn’t want to be in contact with him. “What’s wrong?”

“Don’t say it.” She mumbled. “Not when you don’t mean it.”

He thought hard for a moment. “Zelda.” Ganondorf said cautiously. “I do mean it-”

“You _don’t.”_ Her eyes opened then, spitting fire. “How could you? You’ve barely known me two months! And you’re the Demon King! You don’t care! Why would you?”

Ganondorf pulled back slightly in shock, realising he’d just put his foot in it in a rather monumental fashion. “Zelda, I-”

“It’s illogical.” She said over the top of him. “That you would feel _anything_ for me.” Zelda shook her head then, and her eyes bored into his with disturbing clarity. “So you’re lying. I don’t know for what end, but you _are_. You want to manipulate me-”

She was so close and yet so far from the truth he almost didn’t know what to say.

“You- you’re taking advantage.” She whispered, her voice at home in any tragic opera. “Of –of my feelings. You know I haven’t – I’ve never… you know no one’s ever been kind to me. You think you can be kind and get me to do whatever you want.”

He goggled at her.

Zelda continued, her voice falling to a mere whisper. “Let me tell you one thing – if you keep doing this, you will _break_ _my heart_.” She crumpled completely then, trying to twist away from him as she cried, and then he heard, underneath the sobs, “and you won’t even _care_.”

He was still for a moment as he took in her words, and then Ganondorf silently picked her up, carrying her back upstairs where he deposited them both back in bed. Zelda immediately burrowed under the blankets then buried her head in a pillow to cry, and he slid beneath the covers as well, trying to construct an appropriate response.

He could see his mistake now. He’d focused too much on her need for affection and hadn’t considered enough the level of trust issues she had. What was worse was that she’d accurately guessed some of it. _Damn. So… what do I say now?_ Ganondorf wasn’t entirely sure what the correct way to handle this was now. True, he’d originally been planning to use her feelings for his own gain, but… part of what he’d said was true. He did like her. At least a little bit.

“Zelda.” He said finally, softly, reaching out to touch her shoulder. She wasn’t actively crying anymore, but she stiffened at his touch and sniffled. “May I tell you the truth?”

She slowly lifted her head, revealing blue eyes bright with tears. “All right.” She said cautiously.

“You’re right.” He said simply, and her face crumpled. “But you’re also wrong.”

Confusion settled over her features, and Ganondorf reached out, rolling onto his side so he could brush his fingers over hers lightly. He was in full damage control mode now.

“In the beginning, that’s certainly how I felt. I thought it would be easy to manipulate you, despite how confusing it was to see a Zelda so – so _weak_.” Zelda looked away, shame written on her features, and he tilted her chin back up. “But then I got to know you better. I know I’ve said this before, but you’re interesting to me, Princess. You’re different.” Ganondorf paused then to assess her reaction. Zelda was watching him with wide and wary eyes, though she hadn’t yet objected, so he continued. “Do you remember, the morning after our wedding, how I said my main desire is to introduce you to my culture?”

She nodded slowly.

“Well, that hasn’t changed. The thing is, Princess, is that I finally have a chance to fix things between Hyrule and the Gerudo. I’m not sure if you understand just how important that is to me, but it’s the truth. You have to live here, now, with me. It would be easier if we were disposed to like one another.”

Zelda nodded again. “So.” She whispered, voice flat. “You were going to manipulate me.”

Ganondorf nodded. “I was. I’m the Demon King, what did you expect? My first reaction to everything is to see how I can get the upper hand. But…”

“But?”

He grinned at her. “ _But_ I’ve gotten to know you, and you’re strangely likeable for a Hylian Princess. I know you don’t like how you’ve been treated by your father, and I don’t blame you either, but consider this; had he not, I’d have killed you _long_ before I married you.”

Zelda nodded after a long moment. “At least some good comes of it then.” She said drily, and he chuckled.

“Indeed.” Ganondorf leaned down then, brushing his fingers over her cheek. “I meant what I said, Zelda. When I think that you will live here, that you’ll be _Gérudoshék_ , that you’ll see my people as something other than savages… I’m more pleased than I can say.”

Zelda smiled at that. “I am pleased as well.” She whispered. “If anything I’m happy to be away from court, but… I’m quite excited to experience something that none of my ancestors did.”

He grinned and pulled her closer, almost sighing in relief when she relaxed into him, pressing her cheek to his chest. “I’m glad of that. It’d be awkward indeed if we got here and you hated us.” He said darkly.

“Never.” She breathed, and he froze, waves of intense emotion rolling through him. Ganondorf seized her waist, pulling her up so her face was level with his.

“Do you mean that?” He asked urgently, and Zelda smiled softly, reaching out to touch his jaw. The light pressure of her willing touch seared through him.

“I do.” She murmured softly. “I don’t trust you completely – I _can’t_ – but from what I’ve seen here… I don’t believe your people are worthy of hated, and… I don’t want to be shunned here as well. Hating the local population doesn’t exactly seem like it’ll get me very far.”

“You don’t know how much that means to me.” He said, voice rough. “But I understand you completely. I was a fool and I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that.”

Zelda smiled. “Thank you.” She said, her voice much happier now. “That being said… I’d like to be able to trust you. Maybe one day.”

He grinned at her. “Then it will be this thought that carries me through the days.” He joked, smirking when she laughed, and leaned in to press his lips to hers briefly. “You’re my wife now.” Ganondorf said seriously. “My _Queen_. I want you to trust me.”

Zelda stared at him for a long moment. “I’d – I’d like that.” She said faintly. “I just – _can’t_ , I-”

Ganondorf pulled her closer, cutting off her words. “I understand.”

Zelda buried her face in his throat, a tiny thankful noise reaching his ears, and Ganondorf wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the sensation of having her close.

His eyes popped open as he registered that thought, then recalled everything he’d just said to her. He had a feeling he was in deeper than he thought.


	9. Ascension of the Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda's coronation as Queen of the Gerudo. It's not quite what's she expecting.
> 
> WARNING: features animal sacrifice in fairly graphic detail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to gerudoshikyapril.tumblr.com for the Gerudo Language!!!! :D

Zelda wiped the sweat from her brow as she rode up the steep incline of the dune before her, giving her horse an encouraging pat on the neck as they reached the top and levelled out to see the view before them. Her mouth promptly fell open, for while riding along the bottom of the dunes, you couldn’t see what was on the horizon, but now she could. The cliffs in which the Spirit Temple sat were clearly visible, and the huge and imposing Goddess carved into the cliffside took her breath away.

“What do you think?”

Zelda turned to see Ganondorf looking back at her – he was riding in the front of the line, as per usual, and had obviously been waiting to see her reaction.

“It’s beautiful.” She said earnestly. “Absolutely amazing. I can’t wait to see inside!”

He grinned back at her and then they kept going. They’d been riding for a few hours now, and aside from a pack of leevers popping up out of the sand to attack them, it had been a rather pleasant ride. Ganondorf had given her a horse two days ago, and she rode her new gelding now. He was a lively creature with a sleek chestnut coat, and he was spirited and inquisitive. She hadn’t quite come up with a name for him yet, however, and was calling him _pretty_ _boy_ as a placeholder.

After another forty minutes, they were finally at the base of the Spirit Temple, and everyone began dismounting. Zelda felt just as awkward getting out of the saddle as she felt riding astride (this was the second time she’d ridden in anything but a side-saddle, and didn’t particularly care for it just yet), but the sight of the temple awed her into forgetting about any discomfort. There was already a large camp made around the temple, for Gerudo had been arriving and preparing for her coronation – or _tætwezh_ , as the Gerudo called it – for the past week, and she, Ganondorf, and the remaining Gerudo had arrived now, meaning the throng gathered around the fire pits numbered in the thousands. She could feel many eyes on her as she dismounted and tried to readjust her bodice, still not used to the bare midriff revealed, though she’d been wearing Gerudo clothing for over a week now.

“This way.” Ganondorf said as he turned and walked towards the temple, and Zelda followed, still in awe of the sight. The Spirit Temple was enormous, with a representation of the Goddess of the Sand, hands outstretched, carved into the stone above the door. The Goddess must have been several stories high, and Zelda felt like her head was on a swivel as she tried to take everything in. Ganondorf took her to a small antechamber in which several Gerudo were waiting, with bowls, vials and various rather intimidating implements laid out everywhere.

“They’re going to help you get ready.” He said, then introduced the three women. “Just do what they say.”

Without further ado, he left, and Zelda looked at the three Gerudo women, none of whom spoke Hylian, and pursed her lips. How was she supposed to do what they said if she couldn’t understand them?

They didn’t seem to think there was much of a problem at any rate. Kafek tugged her over towards a shallow basin on the ground and pantomimed what she wanted until Zelda took off her shoes and stood in the basin. The three women then began taking her clothes off, and Zelda wrinkled her nose as she let them scrub the dust from her skin. Once clean, she was wrapped in a length of silk and pushed down into a chair. Kafek, Aurag and Retole chatted animatedly amongst themselves as they set to work rubbing oils into her skin, shaping her nails and brushing out her hair. They made her close her eyes and started putting cosmetics on her face, and then once her hair was done, it was time to get dressed.

Zelda looked over her ceremonial robes with interest as they were pulled from their packaging, and thoroughly liked what she saw. A pair of red billowy trousers made of the softest crushed silk she’d touched to date made up the base of her outfit, and then a tiny golden top that only just covered her breasts was next. Zelda panicked slightly at that – surely they didn’t expect her to wear such an exposing garment? But no – there was more to her outfit than that. A long length of red silk heavily embroidered in gold was wrapped loosely around her body and shoulders to form a sort of dress, and gave her much more coverage. Next came the jewellery. Wrists and ankles weighed down with so many golden bangles she rattled when she walked, Zelda found herself wearing rings and earrings to match the elaborate brooch pinning her silk wrap in place, and then she had quite a few ornaments in her hair. Lastly, they pinned a light veil across her face, covering her nose and mouth, and then she was ready.

Ganondorf had told her the precise order of things; there would be an intimate ceremony within the temple, where she would be declared Queen before the Goddess of the Sand, and after much praying, she would go with Ganondorf outside to the camp, where the festivities would begin.

She was led down a corridor and then she saw Ganondorf waiting at the doorway. He turned to her and grinned, and she smiled back, fighting the urge to curtsey to him. They were married – she didn’t have to be so subservient anymore. Still, the urge was there. He too was dressed in ceremonial robes – he wore trousers and a fancier version of his usual boots, and had a similar silk wrap around his bare torso. His chest had Gerudo designs painted on it, and his eyes were lined with kohl.

“Ready?” He asked, and Zelda nodded, feeling almost breathless with excitement.

“Then lets go.” He said, nodding at the other Gerudo women in the corridor, and he led her through the door into the main cathedral. It was huge, expansive and very cool from being carved down into solid stone. High above, narrow slits in the wall let in air, sunlight striping the floor in vivid swathes of gold, and she could see large shutters connected to rope poised above the windows – she supposed they were to prevent sand from getting into the temple. There was a large raised platform on the other side of the room, and on it rested another image of the Goddess – this time She was standing, hands still outstretched, and at Her feet rested a brazier full of fire. Zelda walked at Ganondorf’s side down the length of the hall, with high-ranking Gerudo kneeling on woven mats to either side of them. He’d told her that the leaders of the different tribes (apparently while the majority of Gerudo lived in the fortresses, there were nomadic tribes here and there) were all present, as well as those who held important positions within the community.

They reached the platform and once on top of it, knelt on special flat cushions before the image of the Goddess. Once in place, the high priestess began chanting something in a high, clear tone. She was exactly how Zelda would have expected a Gerudo priestess to look like; the woman was tall and the planes of her face were fierce, her fiery hair laced with grey as it tumbled down her back. She was barefoot and draped in long robes, the gold bands encircling her wrists and ankles jingling lightly in time to her movements. After a while, she stopped and held out a hand. Ganondorf had told her what to expect, so Zelda slipped her fingers into the priestess’s and stood, letting herself be guided towards the font which contained water from the _Eheyar,_ which she’d been informed was the sacred eternal oasis _._

“ _Zhu_ _Hyrule_ , _Zélda-iva_ , _Latifa, inisha bi míd?”_ These words were spoken by the priestess as she slowly scooped some water into a chalice and offered it to her.

Zelda bit her lip. Ganondorf had told her that she would be asked if she accepted the title of Queen, whereupon she was to respond with _‘Inisha, és’,_ but what if the script had been changed? What if they were no longer the right words to say?

Taking her courage with both hands, Zelda replied quietly. “ _I-Inisha, és.”_ She reached out and took the chalice carefully in both hands; it would never do to drop it. She raised it to her lips and took a sip, and then passed it back to the priestess, who put it back down without comment or negativity, so Zelda assumed she’d done the right thing.

A minor priestess walked forwards then bearing a gold tray, from which the high priestess drew a glistening golden necklace. It was a lovely thing; a chain woven from gold with a large sapphire hanging from the middle. The priestess chanted some more, holding the pendant high in the air, and then she dipped it into the font and chanted some more while the water drops rolled off it. Zelda straightened as the priestess walked around behind her and fastened the pendant around her throat; as the weight of the sapphire settled into the hollow of her throat, Zelda realised the finality of the act. She was Queen of the Gerudo now. Standing up as Ganondorf had instructed her to, she turned to face the assembled crowd. He’d told her that the new Queen would make some sort of motion to the people, like a bow or a short speech.

Zelda had decided to curtsey. Why not? She knew Gerudo didn’t curtsey, but she wasn’t Gerudo. She was Hylian, and Hylian women curtsied to show respect. She could see Ganondorf watching her out of the corner of her eye; clearly, he was wondering what she was going to do. As she dipped into the deepest curtsey possible, she wondered if he’d approve or not. She held the pose easily for several long moments; she’d practised for hours in her youth, for deportment was crucial to being a princess, so she barely had to concentrate on it while she watched the crowd’s reaction. A lot of them were murmuring to each other, and as she came back up, Zelda considered saying something then dismissed it; there was no point when the only person who would understand was the man beside her.

As she stood, dread washed over her as an old crone ambled towards her. Easily the oldest Gerudo she’d yet seen, this woman had braided hair past her ankles in a shade of pure white, and her golden bangles rattled on a bony wrist. She wore a veil to conceal all of her face, including her eyes, and as the fabric was so thick you couldn’t make out the woman’s face, Zelda wondered how she could see.

Ganondorf had told her about this part of the ceremony, and she wasn’t looking forward to it.

Several of the younger priestesses came over carrying a low table, which was placed in between her and Ganondorf, who’d moved to stand at her side. There was a low murmuring from the crowd now, and Zelda glanced around anxiously.

“Relax.” Ganondorf murmured to her, and Zelda tried. She knelt alongside him in front of the table, with the old crone on the other side, and then the small goat was led to the table. Zelda stared at it – the poor little kid didn’t know what was going to happen to it. It was one thing, she knew, to know that animals were slaughtered everyday for meat and such like, but another thing entirely to witness it.

A wicked looking blade was placed at the centre of the table, and Zelda swallowed hard, feeling a bit sick at what was going to happen. The high priestess was standing close by, holding something burning in a bowl and chanting softly, and then the old crone – the soothsayer – spoke. Her voice was quiet and rattling, and then the high priestess moved forwards and picked up the knife. One of the younger priestesses was holding the rope around the kid’s neck, and Zelda watched with wide and horrified eyes as the high priestess moved to grab the baby goat, angling the blade to its throat with practiced ease. She’d done this before.

Zelda looked away, but she heard the noise the kid made as it died, heard the rush of blood, and clenched her fingers tightly in her lap, willing herself not to throw up all over the Gerudo elder before her.

There were some more disgustingly horrifying noises, like the cracking of bone, and then Ganondorf touched her arm lightly – she noticed the smear of blood on her skin before she looked up. There was a large copper bowl now, filled to the brim with steaming entrails – out of the corner of her eye, she could see the corpse of the kid lying on the ground. She swallowed hard again.

The old crone began to chant something of her own then, and the room descended into deathly quiet as all strove to listen – so she was imminently respected here. Zelda made a mental note of that, mainly to distract her from the amount of blood on Ganondorf’s hands.

The soothsayer made passes with her hands over the bowl of entrails, and then Zelda heard her say Ganondorf’s name. One of the priestesses picked up the bowl and held it to Ganondorf’s left – Zelda watched as he placed both hands in the bowl, scooped up some of the distrusting bloody mess, and threw it haphazardly across the table. Blood spattered over all of them, and Zelda winced, for now it was her turn.

He’d explained to her that for significant occasions, the Gerudo turned to their soothsayer’s, who divined the will of the Gods. The old crone was going to read the entrails, and somehow tell the future. Zelda was not entirely sure how it worked, but she knew she couldn’t exactly refuse. As the bowl was brought to her right side and offered to her, she stared at it, and seemingly, it stared back at her.

Ganondorf’s mouth twitched the longer Zelda simply sat there, staring at the bowl. She hadn’t moved yet, and the silence was rapidly become awkward – and the entrails had to be read before they cooled.

“Zelda.” He hissed, nudging her bare back briefly, accidentally smearing blood over her skin. “Do it.”

She started, then lifted her hands and paused again, then lowered her hands towards the bowl, and stopped an inch from the surface. He knew she didn’t want to do it, but she had to do so quickly.

 _“Zelda.”_ He murmured as quickly and quietly as he could. “If you don’t hurry up they’ll have to kill another _shéva_.”

She started, and then took a deep breath and placed her hands into the bowl, scooping out some entrails with a tiny yet audible noise of distress, and all but threw them onto the table.

Ganondorf felt a profound sense of relief – she’d done it, but worryingly, Zelda looked rather like she was going to throw up. That wouldn’t be very good.

Thankfully, she didn’t, and the soothsayer could get to work. He watched as the elder reached up and removed her veil, revealing glassy grey eyes – as a token of their dedication to their Goddess, soothsayer’s lost the gift of sight, but in compensation were granted the gift of vision. She passed her hands over the entrails, murmuring to herself in the strain of Ehenív that only the most loyal of the Goddesses maidens used. Finally, she lifted her head and spoke.

“Give me her hand.”

Ganondorf seized Zelda’s wrist, much to the princess’s general befuddlement, and placed it into the hands of the crone. The old woman smeared the blood around Zelda’s small fingers, tracing over her palm and examining each knuckle in turn.

“She is small to bear the children of such a King.” The soothsayer declared, and at the instantaneous murmurings of the assembled witnesses, Ganondorf decided it was rather a good thing Zelda didn’t know _Ehenív_ just yet. “But a Queen in her own right.” He had a feeling Zelda would like this part, at least. “And a fine one at that.”

The old crone turned Zelda’s hand over, and laid her own bony fingers over Zelda’s bloody Triforce. “Wise, too. The Golden Goddesses of Hyrule are within her, and I sense Hylia herself. With our Lady of the Sand, she shall have five to guide her. That is very auspicious. Five is a good number. A prosperous number.”

He couldn’t deny that.

The crone released Zelda’s hand in favour of placing her fingers onto the entrails, falling quiet again.

“A long reign.” She said slowly. “Though first of lands divided, at length whole.” The soothsayer tilted her head. “A shadow I see… to come before united.”

Ganondorf puzzled this over. A shadow to come before united? Sometimes he hated soothsayers. They were so _cryptic_. And lands divided… and then whole? Well, it didn’t take a genius to figure that out. She meant the valley and Hyrule… so maybe his plan was destined to succeed. That instantly put him in a good mood.

“But…” The old crone rattled slowly, and he cursed internally. _Buts_ in prophecies were never good. “There is one who seeks to take not what you have, but what you will have, and then the three will be united as they have never before.” She paused, then hovered her hands over a particularly thick tangle of gut. “The Sheikah slink in the shadows… beware their wandering eyes.”

Ganondorf stared. The _Sheikah?_ What on _earth?_

He glanced down at Zelda, who was looking befuddled, and remembered she had no idea what was going on, then looked to the high priestess, who looked equally confused at the mention of the Shiekah. At that moment, the crone let her hands drop to her lap, and the reading was over.

It took a few moments for the priestesses to react, but they quickly scurried over and aided the crone to her feet, reattaching her veil and guiding her out, while others removed the corpse and the table. Ganondorf rose to his feet and Zelda did too, and in the corner he could see the priestess whose job it was to transcribe the divination scribbling furiously.

Zelda was confused, because everyone else was confused. She’d had no idea what the soothsayer was saying about her as she had been manhandling her fingers, but then the Sheikah had been mentioned, and now everyone, even Ganondorf, looked rather concerned. She hoped it didn’t mean anything bad. She bit her lip then released it as words made her look around – the ceremony was continuing.

Ganondorf moved to her side, and the high priestess said something in a deep and commanding tone, and then she gathered some mysterious powder from a bowl and threw it over both of them. Zelda blinked furiously as she came in serious danger of getting whatever it was in her eyes, but then it fell to the ground and Ganondorf murmured at her to move. She walked alongside him back out into the corridor, and then smiled up at him when he turned to grin at her.

“Well done.” He said, touching her cheek briefly and smearing blood there.

Zelda smiled wanly at him. “I feel sick.”

“You did very well.” He said, leading her over to a long trough that had been set up and kneeling before it. Zelda knelt as well and was quiet as they washed themselves free of blood, and when she was clean once more, stood up to see Ganondorf watching her very intently.

“You’re my Queen now.” Very abruptly, Ganondorf moved in and pinned her against the wall. “ _Mine_.” He murmured against her lips, and Zelda could only gasp as he kissed her fiercely, one hand threaded into her hair, the other pulling her hips tight against his. Zelda slid her hands up his bare chest, over the patterns painted over his skin, and sighed contentedly against his mouth, until footsteps nearby made Ganondorf pull back. He peered down the corridor to make sure they weren’t going to get interrupted, then turned back to her. Zelda grinned and lifted her hand to his jaw.

“You’ve stolen half the red from my lips.” She snickered, wiping the stain from his mouth, and Ganondorf chuckled and wiped her face as well.

“And you’re all smudgy. So how does it feel to be Queen of the Gerudo?”

“ _Utterly_ petrifying, but very exciting.”

Ganondorf laughed outright then, and seized her waist as he twirled her around in a circle before dipping down to kiss her again.

“Have I told you how _delighted_ I am that you like it here?” He murmured, and Zelda blushed and nodded.

“I am aware, yes. I also know that spin would have worked much better in a gown.”

Ganondorf raised a disbelieving brow.

“You can deny it all you want, but when it comes to aesthetic flair, nothing beats a full skirt of petticoats to complete a twirl.”

Ganondorf proceeded to roll his eyes heavily.

“At least you got through the ceremony without fleeing for the hills. I saw your face during the _Aktamiresu_.”

Zelda made a face. “The soothsaying thing, you mean? That was _disgusting_. I had to touch – oh, that poor little darling. He was so lovely and fluffy – he didn’t know what was going to happen. Poor little baby.” She peeked up at him, worried. “I won’t have to do that _often_ , will I?”

Ganondorf snickered. “No. The priestesses do it as part of their rituals, but you’ll only have to do it a few times; for your coronation, when you fall pregnant, or if I die before you and you have to preside over my funeral, though that one would be a little different.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “Or, some catastrophe could happen and we’d need guidance. You never know.”

She pulled another face. “Well, here’s hoping that doesn’t happen, because-” At that moment, the first part of what he’d said hit her. “ _Wait_. Did you say… when I fall pregnant?”

His grin got wider, revealing the tips of his fangs. “Yes. We have to see if the child is favourable to fortune, after all. The Goddess guides the children of Kings.”

“Oh dear.” She sighed, then changed tack. “I might also ask why exactly the wisdom of a sand Goddess manifests itself in the bloody guts of a goat?”

His smirk widened. “ _Me, niíli ash.”_

She stared at him for a long moment, and when Ganondorf merely looked at her she sighed in disgust. “You know I have no idea what you mean.”

He smirked some more. “Blood is sand, Princess. Blood is sand.”

Zelda furrowed her brow. “You’d have better off sticking to _Ehenív_ for all the sense you’re making.”

He chuckled, and then her curiosity overcame her. “What did she say? And what is her name? I’ve been calling her _soothsayer_ in my head.”

Ganondorf grinned. “She doesn’t have one. Soothsayer’s give up their names and their eyes for their Lady. Everyone calls every soothsayer just that.”

“Oh.” Giving up their names and eyes didn’t sound overly pleasant to her. “Well, what did she say?”

He smirked. “She said you are very small to bear my children-” Zelda flushed scarlet at that. “-and then she said you will be a wise Queen with five Goddesses to guide you. Five is a very auspicious number.”

“Five?”

“The Golden Goddesses, Hylia, and our Lady of the Sand.” He elaborated.

“I see. Is that all?”

“No. That was just what she was deriving about _you_ – she also issued a prediction of _va zhavsu ti’e_.”

She raised a brow. “Sorry?”

“The coming times.” He translated.

“Oh?” Zelda moved closer. “What was it? I heard her mention Hyrule… and the Sheikah. What do they have to do with anything?”

Shutters closed over his face. “When I get the transcription, I’ll translate it for you.”

Zelda nodded hesitantly, hoping it was nothing bad. “Okay.”

Ganondorf grinned and changed the subject. “But I’m pleased you recalled the proper words when you had to speak.”

Zelda grinned right back. “I was _petrified_ when the priestess asked me that. I thought for sure the question had changed and what you told me to say was going to be wrong, and I’d look a fool.”

That made him chuckle deeply, and Zelda grinned as she put a hand to her pendant, examining the deep blue jewel.

“Do you like it?”

“I do; it matches my diadem perfectly.”

Ganondorf preened. “I’m glad.”

“So what happens now?” She asked curiously.

“We wait for everyone to clear out of the temple, and then one of the priestesses will come and find us.”

“I see. How long will the celebrations last?”

He shrugged. “All night, probably.”

“Oh, I’m just dying for a mirror.” She said, holding up her wrist to look at the gold bracelets again. “I want to know what these clothes look like. And they painted my face and didn’t show me! I hope it doesn’t look terrible.”

Ganondorf snickered. “It doesn’t. But come with me.”

He led her back through a nearby doorway, to a room with his armour settled neatly on a table; this must have been the room where he got changed, she realised. Picking up a mirror, Ganondorf handed it to her and Zelda smiled in delight at her reflection. Her lips were much deeper in colour now, even through the veil, and her eyes were rimmed with kohl, the effect of which she quite liked. Her hair was elaborately braided down her back, and she could see many a golden ornament hung in the twisted strands, while her clothes looked floaty and very lovely.

“I love these clothes.” She said happily, moving the mirror around so she could see all of herself. “They’re really so very beautiful.”

Ganondorf looked pleased. “I’m glad you like them.”

At that moment a Gerudo voice called out, and Ganondorf replied before taking the mirror out of her hands.

“Time to go.” He announced, and Zelda followed him out the door and down the corridor, a priestess walking along in front. The moment they walked out the door a roar sprung up from the assembled crowd as drum beats, singing and some sort of horn echoed over them, and Zelda realised the sun was on the verge of setting – the ceremony had lasted a few hours. Smoke billowed in massive columns to the sky from the fire pits, and the smell of roasting meat nearly overpowered it. All around them, women were dancing, eating and drinking, and Ganondorf led her forwards to their waiting horses, which they mounted and rode forwards.

A group of about twenty women in co-coordinating outfits of deep plum leapt forwards to surround them, chanting loudly, and then they spun into a fantastic display that was half dance, half fight as they twirled and lunged with swords in hand. More came up behind them holding torches that spat fire in the twilight, the red and gold of their outfits shimmering in the flickering light, and others still twirled madly about in a beautifully synchronised dance with long ribbons fluttering and curling about their forms; Zelda thought they looked rather like luminous ghosts in their cream silks.

She could pick up a chant that was louder then the mishmash of noise, and could recognise that it was being repeated.

“What are they saying?” She called to Ganondorf, who rode at her side.

“ _Latifa aks Tif, grut ash va.”_ He said back, a lazy smirk on his face. “Behold the King and Queen.”

Zelda smiled widely at that, drinking in the sight with relish as they rode from one end of the camp to other and then back again, dismounting at the mouth of the Temple once more, where Ganondorf led her into the throng, where it seemed the celebrations were now truly kicking off.

A cup of some sort of drink was pressed into her hands, and Zelda took a sip and nearly choked on the strong alcohol as she gazed wide-eyed at the many dancers, the displays of weaponry, the fire-eaters who twirled about amongst the revellers. True to Ganondorf’s word, the celebrations lasted for hours, most people getting steadily drunker as the night progressed. It seemed like the very second her cup emptied, someone refilled it (there were women who had forgone cups and were just dancing around with entire bottles in their hands), and she was becoming more carefree by the second.

By almost four in the morning, Ganondorf was looking for Zelda. He’d lost her a while ago, for while he was pretty buzzed (it took quite a lot to get him drunk) she was completely gone. Unused to the type of liquor the Gerudo favoured, she’d been drinking steadily all night (admittedly helped along by his sisters). He’d already found her silken wrap discarded on the ground and wondered how mortified she’d be in the morning when she realised how much of her bare flesh was on display. After another hour, he finally spotted her – all the way on the other side of the camp. He had to grin at the sight; the usually prim and proper princess was clearly completely and utterly smashed – her cosmetics were smeared over her face, her hair half loose and very messy, and she was now dressed only in a small bandeau top and trousers, though he supposed he couldn’t judge her for that when most of his sisters fared no better. Some of them had actually stripped off completely, so he decided it was a good thing Zelda hadn’t done the same. He noted she’d lost her shoes somewhere, and thanked the various powers that be that she was still wearing her jewellery, including her diadem, even if it was dangerously lopsided. He didn’t think she’d be very happy if she lost that. She was dancing with a group of other Gerudo women now – apparently they’d been teaching her how to dance like a Gerudo, and he stopped to watch the show. It was admittedly quite a pleasant if hilariously uncoordinated sight, and he blinked hard against the effects of the drink then stumbled slightly as he went towards her.

When he got close enough to realise what they were saying, he laughed out loud when he noticed that they were all chatting animatedly to each other over the remaining music and celebration, without realising that they couldn’t understand one another.

“Zelda.” He half-shouted over the music and drunken singing. “Time to go.”

Zelda’s only response was to flap her hands and slur something at him, so he slung an arm around her waist to lead her away. In all honesty, he was amazed she was still standing. She turned and shouted something at her newfound friends, who waved and slurred their goodbyes right back. Ganondorf kept a tight grip on Zelda’s waist as they stumbled back through the camp – he was glad he’d had the foresight to have their bedding set up before the festivities really got going, unlike some of his extremely drunk sisters he could see practically falling over as they tried to spread out their bedrolls – but Zelda kept trying to go and join the women who were still dancing. Eventually, after she nearly broke free one time too many (he cursed the drink that had dulled his reflexes), Ganondorf picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder, to which Zelda complained very loudly and not very coherently in his ear as he carried her through the camp.

Finally, they reached their bedrolls and he forced Zelda to lie down, stripping her of all her various gold jewels, and stowing them for safekeeping in her saddlebag. She tried to protest but he pinned her down until the combined effects of the drink and sleep deprivation made her pass out, whereupon Ganondorf laid down and promptly fell asleep in his own bedding, his last thoughts being amusement at the anticipation of Zelda’s impending hangover.

 

* * *

 

When he woke, it was to feel perfectly refreshed, as he was wont to do unless he got _really_ drunk. Ganondorf could count the number of times he’d had a hangover on his fingers, and was quite pleased at this fact. Zelda was a different story. They’d all slept in, and by the time he woke it was late noon and most of his sisters were still asleep amongst the burnt out fire pits, remnants of food and grog scattered around. Zelda had her head burrowed as far under her silk slip as she could get to shield herself from the sun, and he could tell she was very unwillingly awake, for she was flinching at every loud noise in the distance.

“Zelda.” He murmured, leaning down to touch her shoulder. “How d’you feel?”

“Ugggghhhhhh.” She drew the noise out, then lifted her head, revealing black rimmed eyes smudged halfway down her face. “Terrible.”

He snickered. “I bet. Have you been drunk before?”

She shook her head then whimpered in pain and buried herself again. Ganondorf laughed again at her clearly monstrous hangover and went to hunt down some water. Returning with two water skins, he guzzled one and poked Zelda in the ribs until she revealed herself again.

“Drink.” He said shortly, pushing the waterskin at her. “You’ll feel better.”

Zelda practically moaned in pain then sat up, blinking hard at the sunlight as she held her head. “Someone needs to get rid of the sun.”

He chuckled again. “Drink it all.”

She somehow missed her mouth and ended up pouring water all down her breasts, which made her grumpy, but eventually she’d drained the waterskin and then burrowed back under her protective pile of silk again.

“No.” He said, sensing a prime opportunity to tease her. “No more sleeping. We’re leaving now.”

Zelda all but tossed the silk off her face. “ _No_.” She said in a deathly quiet and horrified whisper, and it took all his willpower not to laugh in her face.

“We’re leaving. Get up.”

She shook her head then winced. “You can’t make me ride. I’ll _die_.” She said, still sounding horrified.

He did laugh then. “I’m kidding, Princess. We aren’t leaving until tomorrow – you’ve got til then to recover.”

“ _Thank everything that’s holy.”_ Zelda said fervently, then buried herself again.

Ganondorf snickered once more and went in search of anyone else who was awake – not many, as it turned out. He found Jaroobi eventually – she was propped up against a large rock and was holding her head. He squatted beside her.

“How’s the head?”

“Don’t ask.” She mumbled, then looked up curiously. “How’s the princess? She was pretty drunk.”

He chuckled. “She was. First time she’s gotten drunk, and now she’s got a _very_ bad hangover.”

Jaroobi snorted a laugh then winced. “Poor kid. Hope she’s got some water.”

He nodded, and Jaroobi sighed and massaged her temples. “I hope you’re not over here because you want me to do something; I’m non-operational until tomorrow noon at the _earliest_.”

Ganondorf snickered. “No, I’m just seeing who’s still alive. It’s kind of boring being the only one awake after a night like that.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve only got yourself to blame.”

“Hey, at least I’m not a lightweight like you lot.”

Jaroobi swatted at his arm, missed, and jolted herself, which made her wince and sink back down against the rock. “Please go away and let me suffer in peace.” She mumbled through her hands, and he laughed and patted her knee, making her groan again, then stood up and went back over to his bedding. On the way, he collected some food from the still operational fire pits; his cheery greetings were met with death glares from most of his sisters.

Sitting back down on his bedroll, Ganondorf tucked into his lunch, noting how Zelda stirred at the smell of roasted meat, bread and cheese.

“Hungry?” He asked, deliberately wafting the smell towards her.

“ _No_.” She declared vehemently, and he snickered, stretching out against his bedroll to enjoy his meal. As it turned out, it was the next day before she agreed to attempt to eat, and Ganondorf laughed to himself amidst packing up as he watched her gingerly place tiny specks of bread in her mouth and attempt to swallow. Finally most of the camp was packed and ready to leave, and Zelda’s coronation as Queen of the Gerudo was officially complete.


	10. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically some filler fluff of Zelda just enjoying her new life in the desert because going from the last chapter to the next would seem very rushed. 
> 
> Features a slight NSFW scene!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to gerudoshikyapril.tumblr.com, who provided the Gerudo Language used in this fic!!!

“You’re going to burn the sauce.”

“I _hate_ the sauce.” Zelda snapped, brushing her hair back over her shoulder and reaching for the spoon so she could stir the pot. Behind her, Ganondorf snickered.

“You might say that now, but just remember if you burn it you’ll still have to eat it.”

Zelda sighed irritably and scuffed at the floor with her foot. Ganondorf was teaching her to cook, and it was _hard_.

“You’d be better off just letting me starve.” She remarked, and Ganondorf laughed harder, coming up behind her and fitting himself to the curve of her backside, one arm winding around her waist while the other took the spoon out of her hand as he tasted the sauce.

“You’ve got to stop thinking of it as something you’re certain to fail at, Zelda.” He said, dipping the spoon back into the sauce and bringing it to her lips. “Now tell me what you taste.”

Zelda rolled her eyes but obediently sipped at the sauce, and when Ganondorf had put the spoon back in the pot, he asked her again.

“It tastes like… sauce.”

He pinched her side. “Nope. Try again.”

“Meat?”

“Close, but not enough. What else?”

“Meat and onion? Some garlic too? And… some apricot?” _Where did they even get apricot?_ She wondered.

“Good. What do you think it needs?”

Zelda pursed her lips and thought. It was not as thick as the usual sauces Ganondorf made. “It’s… a bit thin?” She asked. “So it maybe its something to thicken it?”

“Right.” Ganondorf sounded pleased as he grabbed a small sack filled with a white powder. “Cornflower thickens things. We get this from Hyrule.”

After the cornflower had been added, he made her taste it again.

“Now what?”

Zelda considered things. “It hasn’t got enough spices for _your_ tastes. I can taste some, but _you_ like more. Because you're crazy.”

“ _Exactly_.”

Zelda looked on in dismay as he proceeded to dump (in her opinion) far too much spice in and stir it. He then wrapped a thick cloth around his hand and moved the pot to another hook, lifting it further out of the fire to keep it hot but prevent it from burning or boiling over.

“Now for the bread.” He announced, grabbing her wrist and tugging her back over to the bench. “Got your ingredients?”

“I’d hope so, seeing as you got them out.” Zelda returned snarkily, and Ganondorf grinned.

“Touché.” He positioned her in front of the bowl and then stood behind her, his form pressed firmly against hers. “What first?”

Zelda grinned to herself as she carefully measured and mixed, once the dough was somewhat resembling the thing it was supposed to look like, she bit her lip as she hunted through Ganondorf’s cupboards looking for the thing he cooked it in. Gerudo bread was not like Hylian bread, baked, brown and fluffy on the inside. Gerudo bread was fried and was quite dense and thick, but the flavour was very nice, much less bland then ordinary bread. Ganondorf watched with an approving look on his face as she carried the heavy iron over to the fire pit and spent some time with the poker trying to reshuffle the burning logs so she could lie the pan on the two stones specifically designed to hold it. Once it was in place, Zelda wiped her brow and went off to hunt down the oil. Finally, she was ready to start cooking the bread, and she reached into the bowl, only to find that she hadn’t separated the dough yet.

“Argh!” She whisper-yelled. “Why are there so many steps!?”

Ganondorf snickered at that, and pulled her back to stand in front of him.

“Here.”

He dumped the dough on the bench, then grabbed her hands and started kneading the dough with him as though she were a puppet.

“You want them all the same thickness, so make sure the balls are the same size when you make them.” He instructed, demonstrating one ball, and Zelda furrowed her brow and copied him.

“Like that?” She asked, holding up one, and Ganondorf nodded approvingly.

“Just like that.”

With two sets of hands, the job went by faster, and it was soon time to cook.

To Zelda’s intense excitement, they actually looked quite good. Nothing had stuck (yet) and they were rising the way they were supposed too… everything was going well.

_But… how long do I cook them for?_

Zelda bit her lip hard as she pondered this very important question. “How long?” She asked, and Ganondorf chuckled.

“There isn’t a set time, exactly… but you can tell by the appearance. I’ll tell you when they’re done.”

Ganondorf sat down on the floor pillow to wait, and Zelda sank down beside him, putting her hand on his knee. She hadn't liked making the sauce, but Ganondorf's constant praise had cheered her up immensely, and she was now fantasising about being able to cook _entire_ meals on her own.

“When can I try cooking something by myself?” She asked enthusiastically, and he grinned at her.

“Whenever you like. You don’t have to ask permission. Just do it.”

Zelda frowned. “I think… I think I’d feel more comfortable if you gave me a day…” She said quietly, and Ganondorf nodded.

“Alright. Tomorrow. I have to go out anyway, so I’ll expect something delicious when I return.”

“I don’t know about that.” Zelda laughed, and he grinned.

“I don’t see why not. You doubt yourself too much.”

Her smile faded. “It’s hard not to.”

He nodded seriously. “I know, Princess.”

Her gaze fell to her hands. “Ganondorf… you know, it’s been a fortnight since my coronation…”

“Hmm?”

“You haven’t told me what the soothsayer said, and I know you have the transcript, because I saw the priestess give it to you.”

He looked at her for a long moment. “All right.” Ganondorf stood up and led her into his study. She’d only been in here a few times, and took full advantage of the opportunity to look around at the maps on the walls, the mountains of papers and bookshelves sagging with the weight of the tomes crammed onto their shelves. Ganondorf went to his desk and pulled open a drawer, rifling around for a few moments before coming up with a tightly furled scroll.

He cleared his throat and began to read.

“ _Kilal_ -”

Zelda cut him off before he got another word out. “Do you really think reading it in _Ehenív_ is going to be helpful?”

Ganondorf grinned at her. “Just teasing, Princess.” He turned back to the scroll and began to translate.

“Though first of lands divided, at length whole. A shadow I see to come before united. There is one who seeks to take not what you have, but what you will have, and then the three will be united as they have never before. The Sheikah slink in the shadows… beware their wandering eyes.”

Zelda furrowed her brow. “What does it mean, the Sheikah are in the shadows? I don’t understand that.”

“Neither do I.” He admitted. “The Sheikah went extinct a few centuries ago, or so I _thought_.”

A flash of insight hit her. “Don’t the Shiekah have some sort of symbol…?”

Ganondorf stared at her. “You’ve had an idea, haven’t you?”

“I have. What’s the symbol look like?”

He moved to his bookshelves and began poking through the tomes there. “I’m surprised you don’t know.”

Zelda laughed bitterly. “I’m sure I would if I’d been permitted. Unfortunately for me, history was in the restricted section of the library.”

“Harkinian is a fool.”

Zelda had to smile at his tone – he seemed so genuinely angry that her father had treated her like he had. “I don’t disagree.” She said softly.

“Aha.” Ganondorf pulled a book from the shelf and brought it over to lie it on the desk as he flipped through the pages. “This is a book specifically on the history of the Sheikah. Their origins, their peak, their extinction and so on.”

Her curiosity was officially piqued. “Can I read this later?”

“Of course. Here.” Ganondorf reached a specific page in which a stylised eye was emblazoned. “The Sheikah eye.”

“I’ve seen that before.” She murmured, tracing her fingers over the image. “On someone at court…”

“Someone was _wearing_ it?” Ganondorf asked sharply.

“Yes…” Zelda’s head shot up as she recalled just who it was. “Alozo.”

Ganondorf’s brows snapped together. “Alozo?” He stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Well, that would explain things, like why he’s so trusted by your father. He’s his spy, his protector.”

Zelda nodded in agreement. “He must be. He had a… well, I’m not sure what it was, but it was like a round medallion with the eye emblazoned on one side. He wears it on a chain around his neck. I saw it once when I was in the garden and he was readjusting it. I saw it just before he put it back under his waistcoat.”

“And you’re sure it was this eye?”

“Positive. It was bright red against a silver medallion.”

At that moment, Zelda remembered their dinner. “Is the bread okay?”

“Oh, shit.” Ganondorf immediately made for the door, and Zelda followed him out as he checked the bread. It was just on the verge of burning, and he quickly piled them all onto a plate, and she took it from him so he could get the curry as well. Once seated at the table, she brought up the subject of the soothsayer again.

“So what do you think the shadow will be?”

He looked thoughtful as he dipped some bread in the sauce. “I’m not sure. I _think_ it may be something following the first part – that’s obviously about Hyrule and the valley getting united.”

“But how?” Zelda asked curiously, and Ganondorf grinned.

“I have a plan.”

She raised a brow. “Are you going to tell me what it is?”

“Eventually.”

“And what about the thing we don’t have yet, but is going to be taken away?”

He shrugged but looked annoyed. “I have no idea.”

“How accurate are soothsayers generally?”

“Pretty good.” He said, and Zelda ate a bite of the bread as she waited. “They can be vague, but they get the outlines right. Not everything is certain to come to pass, but most of it _probably_ will.”

“Well, it’s certainly something to think about.” She said, popping another piece of bread in her mouth.

Ganondorf nodded. “Indeed.”

Later that night, when the dishes had been tidied and they were both upstairs and getting ready for bed, Zelda asked what was going to happen tomorrow.

“I’ve got a meeting to go to. There’s a food thief lurking around and we want her caught.”

Zelda grinned as she started plaiting her hair. “If I were bolder, I might remark on the irony of that.”

Ganondorf mock narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m well aware, Princess, don’t you worry.”

Once in bed, Ganondorf pulled her into his embrace, and Zelda let herself sink into the comfort he offered, knowing what was happening now – he’d yet to let a single night pass in which he didn’t bed her… and to be perfectly honest, with the pleasure he unerringly brought her? Zelda was far from objecting.

With that, Ganondorf kissed her, and Zelda let herself relax further into his embrace, twining her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer. When his hand slipped beneath her nightgown and slid up her thigh she willingly parted them, sighing in pleasure against his mouth. His fingers moved so slowly between her thighs, his movements languorous and pondering, and Zelda couldn’t help the sighs and moans she let out.

“Oh – _please_.” She whimpered, and distantly heard him chuckle.

Ganondorf rolled her onto her back and then his fingers dipped inside her, making her cry out and then whimper as he moved so slowly she thought she’d scream, but then as his thumb settled back on that one _spot_ that made her eyes roll back in her head, Zelda knew that feeling was going to overtake her again.

His head dipped down, meandering across her collarbone, and when Ganondorf took her nipple into his mouth through the fine lace of her gown, Zelda cried out and bucked her hips against his hand, making him growl. She sank her hands into his hair as he did something between her legs that only the heightened the intense feelings, and she tried to tell him to stop, that she couldn’t take it, that she’d explode if he didn’t – he only twisted into her harder, and then she shattered into a million splintered pieces, gladly giving herself over to the wave of sensation.

Ganondorf raised his fingers to his lips and hungrily tasted her essence as he watched Zelda twitch in the throes of ecstasy. When her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him he drew her closer.

“Good?”

“Mmm.” She sighed, looking very relaxed.

“You look very sleepy.” He noted.

“I feel sleepy.” She mumbled.

“Well, I hope you won’t go to bed just yet.” He purred against her ear, and Zelda grinned.

“I might if you continue to give me no reason to stay awake.”

He nipped at her ear. “You little minx. I’ll have to punish you for that.”

She smiled at him, and though the action was slightly hesitant, he recognised that she was making progress. A month ago she’d have pulled back and clammed up from such words… Ganondorf leaned down to kiss her again, cheered that she was opening up to him at last.

 

* * *

 

 Ganondorf patted his stallion’s neck and left the stable after having unsaddled him, picking up the saddle and carrying it over to the tack shed and putting everything away before he began the walk through the fortress back to his quarters. He’d found himself obliged to travel in order to settle an issue with the Zuna tribes, but he was back now, and quite eager to see how Zelda had fared living in the fortress by herself for a week. She’d only been here a month, so she still wasn’t able to speak to anyone beyond himself, Jaroobi, and the handful of scholars who knew something of the Hylian language. That being said, Wisdom had a knack for languages, and as Zelda had been faithfully studying Gerudo everyday, either by herself or with the scholars down in the archives, she was now able to name quite a few things in Gerudo, and string together small sentences, though she was yet to hold a proper conversation. _But_ , he reminded himself. _We still have all the time in the world._

The walk back to his quarters took a very long time, for he kept stopping to talk, answering questions about his trip, greeting little girls who came over to say hello, and debating the topics to be brought up at the next social meetings. He found out the food thief still hadn’t been caught, and one of his better advisors, Ilaron, had gone into labour two days previously and safely delivered a healthy baby girl. This of course delayed him even further, for Ganondorf immediately went to visit her and see the new arrival for himself.

Reaching Ilaron’s home, he knocked on the doorframe and was greeted by her bloodsister Tinare.

“Tinare, _da yanæ_.” He greeted her cheerfully. “How’s Ilaron?”

_“Da musti.”_ She replied, holding back the curtain for him to enter. “She is very well.”

“And the child?”

“Strong and healthy.”

He could hear the pride in her voice and grinned to hear it. “Is Ilaron up for visitors?”

“I’ll ask.”

Ganondorf waited as Tinare went into another room, glancing around their home as he did so. They were twins, and lived together very happily. Tinare was a fine and particularly ferocious warrior who wore her hair cut short because she couldn’t stand it long, and her sister, though deft with a blade, preferred to speak politics, which was why she was one of his better advisors.

Tinare appeared in the doorway. “Come through.”

Ganondorf entered Ilorun’s bedchamber to see her sitting up in bed cradling her newborn while her four year old daughter sat at her side, playing with her new little sister’s blanket.

_“Ganondorf-ti!!!”_ Cried Amaran, and she left her mother’s side to scarper over to him. “Look! It’s a baby!”

Everyone chuckled at that, and he leaned down to scoop up the child. Most children intensely enjoyed being carried by him, for they ended up feeling very tall. Amaran was no different – she sank her hands into his hair and looked contentedly about at her new worldview.

“How’s the little one?” He asked, moving closer to sit beside Tinare on the floor beside Ilorun, jiggling a giggly Amaran as he did so.

“Very good.” Said Ilorun, a wide smile on her face. She still looked rather tired – which was understandable – but she glowed with new motherhood, tracing the nose of her baby tenderly. “I’ve named her Anori and she is _perfect_.”

Right on cue, Anori yawned and wrinkled her nose, then settled back into sleep.

“Do you want to hold her?” Asked Ilorun, and Ganondorf grinned.

“Of course.”

The sleeping baby was deposited in his arms, and then he had to hold Amaran back as she peered over his shoulder at her sister.

“She was in Mama’s tummy!” Amaran reported excitedly.

Ganondorf raised a brow at her in mock surprise. _“Really?”_

“Yes!” The little girl crowed, then stopped to look confused. “But… how did she get out?”

Ganondorf exchanged a look with the other two women in the room. “Best ask your mama that one.”

Amaran immediately clambered over to her mother, and while Ilorun was fielding questions from the inquisitive child, Tinare turned and spoke to him.

“So how is the princess?” She asked, and Ganondorf shrugged as he rocked Anori gently.

“I haven’t seen her yet.”

Both sisters turned to stare at him. “You came here instead of seeing her?” Ilorun sounded amazed, and Ganondorf rolled his eyes.

“I was on my way to my quarters to see Zelda, but everyone and their mother stopped to talk to me, and then I got told you’d had your baby, so _naturally_ I came here right away.”

Ilorun smiled. “Well, I am pleased you did. But you must go to her now!”

He made a face at her. “Very well.” Giving the slumbering child back to her mother, Ganondorf stood up. “I’ll take my leave then. _Da kíz.”_

_“Kíz!”_ Amaran waved heartily, and Ganondorf chuckled and waved back before he showed himself out.

While walking back to his quarters, he found his mind occupied still by the sight of little Anori fast asleep in her mother’s arms – only now, his attention was drawn by the image of Zelda cradling a child. _Their_ child.

Suddenly impatient to see her, he sped up, walking faster until his quarters were in sight.

Pulling back the curtain, his shoulders unconsciously relaxed as he spotted Zelda lying on her stomach on a floor pillow, her back to him as she turned the page of a book.

She had quite a few books and scrolls scattered around her, and he could hear her slowly working through the pronunciation of _Ehenív_ words she recognised.

“Having fun?” He inquired, and Zelda jumped about a foot in the air before she twisted around and smiled when she realised who it was.

“You’re back!” Zelda stood up and moved straight into his arms then, and Ganondorf pulled her closer, happily burying his nose in her sweet smelling hair. “How did your negotiations go?” She asked.

“Quite well; the Zuna are happy again, so I won’t need to go back. Not for a while, at least.”

“That’s good.” She smiled. “So you just got back?”

Ganondorf let go of her and headed towards the food cupboards; he was hungry. “No, I got back around two hours ago. I had some people to see – Ilorun’s had her baby, so I went to visit her briefly.”

Zelda furrowed her brow as he picked up a bag of dried fruit and began eating some of them.

“Ilorun?” She asked.

“Did you meet her yet…? I think you have. She’s one of my more trusted advisors. Her daughter’s name is Anori, and she’s two days old.”

Zelda smiled. “How sweet.”

Ganondorf offered her a piece of fruit and waited until she’d taken one to ask his next question. “And how was your week? I assume you managed to feed yourself, seeing as you’re not dead on the floor.”

She laughed at that. “I did feed myself! And it all tasted decent too.” He grinned at the proud note in her voice. “And I spent most of my time in the archives. Jaroobi is very nice but she’s always very busy, but in the archives I can read and then ask Varmas or Dorani for help.”

He nodded in approval. “Good. Are you busy this afternoon?”

Zelda grinned at the smouldering look in his eyes as his gaze ran down her form. “Not particularly.” She replied, and had her hypothesis proved correct when Ganondorf immediately set down the bag of dried fruits and scooped her up into his arms, his lips meeting hers firmly. She twined her arms around his neck and kissed him back eagerly, having found herself rather missing his company during the week.

More than that, she’d missed his touch. To go from a whole life of solitude to a month straight of having someone to hold her and back again was very jarring, and Zelda sincerely hoped that the longer she spent in the desert, the more used to normal human interactions she’d become.

Ganondorf pulled her closer, and Zelda wrapped her legs firmly around his waist as he broke the kiss and made for the stairs. Instead of lying her down on their bed and promptly ravishing her as she had expected, Ganondorf instead set her down then went to her dressing table to grab her hairbrush and bottle of oil. Her hair was not adjusting to the drying heat terribly well, and for the first time in her life her hair was feeling crunchy from a lack of moisture and she had split ends forming. Rather than leave her to struggle through finding a fix herself, Ganondorf had noticed while playing with her hair one day and ever since then he’d taken it upon himself to brush and oil her hair each night. Zelda didn’t mind this at all; it was very therapeutic.

“So what else did you do?” He asked as he removed her hair fasteners. “Surely you didn’t spend the entire week in the archives.”

“No.” She replied. “I took full advantage of the opportunity to explore. I did get lost once though.”

He chuckled, and then the brush began to stroke through her hair, drawing a light shiver from her. “Where’d you end up?”

“I’m still not sure.” She admitted. “But I did go past the training pits at one stage.”

“And how’d you get back?”

“I got rescued by Jaroobi.” Zelda laughed to herself at the memory. “I was trying to talk to this other woman, but we just weren’t understanding each other. Luckily for me, Jaroobi was passing by and she showed me the way home.”

Ganondorf’s movements paused for a fraction of a second, but then he kept talking. “And what else?”

“Well, I went to the market on Monday. I bought some bzahar fruit and some more thread for my embroidery. I got accosted by several little girls then, and they made me sit down so they could play with my hair. They all thought the blonde was rather marvellous.”

There came a chuckle from behind her. “Of course. Your hair, your skin, your eyes – those are the main topics of interest amongst _va zélia’s.”_

“ _Va zélia’s_ … that means ‘the girls’, doesn’t it?”

Ganondorf sounded pleased then. “It does indeed.”

Zelda grinned. “See? I am learning. Also… I wanted to ask you – they were calling me, um… ze-whar-o?”

“ _Zewaro_.” He pronounced slowly for her. “It is the term used to describe a girl with yellow hair.”

“I see.” Zelda carefully filed that piece of knowledge away for safe-keeping. She bit her lip then, debating trying out a Gerudo sentence. She knew, in theory, a few minor phrases, and so long as Ganondorf kept it simple, she was fairly confident she could follow the conversation – but pronunciation was a different matter. She was reluctant to mess up in front of the King, even though she was quite sure he wouldn’t mind – he was too busy being pleased she was learning his language.

_“Va Zuna payha, fík?_ ” Zelda asked slowly, almost positive she’d just asked him where in the desert the Zuna tribes resided. She smiled as she heard Ganondorf make a pleased sound.

“ _Va shamal_.” He replied in the same language. “ _Ehe zhu_ _Ímyusha_ _, nævu va.”_

Zelda took a moment to repeat his words in her head, silently mouthing them as she deciphered their meaning.

“To... the north?” She asked hesitantly, and smiled widely when Ganondorf confirmed it.

“Yes, that’s right. What about the rest?”

“Um… I know _Ehe_ is desert, so you said… in the desert of… something?”

“Exactly right, Zelda.” Ganondorf sounded pleased. “You just missed _Ímyusha,_ which is doubt. The Desert of Doubt.”

Zelda turned around to face him then, interrupting the application of oil to her hair. “Well, I got most of it.” She said with a wide smile.

“ _Shan da, b’af saili.”_ He said, reaching out to touch her chin.

Zelda pondered his words. “You lost me.” She said with a sigh. “You said, I’m doing something?”

Ganondorf grinned at her. “Well. I said, you’re doing well.”

“Oh _. Kitit!”_ She chimed in thanks.

He grabbed her hand then. “Come along. I need to find Jaroobi, but you can come too.”

Walking through the fortress with Ganondorf was always a slow affair, as she was realising more and more each time she did it, for everyone under the sun would come and talk to him.

Jaroobi was not at her home, which made Ganondorf irritable, but then they spent a long while walking together and talking to various Gerudo – Zelda rather liked the conversations, because it gave her an opportunity to listen and try to follow along.

By the time sunset rolled around, they were sitting on the wall of the fortress, because Ganondorf wanted to show her the desert at twilight. Zelda sipped the bzaha fruit juice he’d acquired for them both slowly as she watched the sun slowly descend below the horizon. By this time, Ganondorf had his arm around her waist and she was leaning up against his chest.

“Do you see that glow on the horizon?” He murmured, and Zelda turned her gaze to the direction he was motioning in.

“Mmmm?” She replied, sipping her drink again.

“That’s _va_ _Navuhsa Shimaba._ The priestesses light braziers at night so you can see it from all corners of the desert.”

Zelda eyed the glow of the Spirit Temple and turned to smile up at him. “It really is lovely here. You know, I had my doubts when I first arrived, but I can’t deny this place is really starting to feel like home.”

Ganondorf’s eyes darkened a touch and he pulled her closer into his side. “I’m glad.” He said simply. “I’m very glad indeed.”


	11. Sorousi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda gives birth to her first child - but some complications arise.

Ganondorf leaned against the wall, surreptitiously eyeing his wife as she sang to herself, timing the lilt of her song to the rhythmic splash of milk in the pail. She had taken to goat raising with gusto, to his surprise, and had so far never failed to let Tseri out of her pen for grazing or forgotten to milk her until the poor thing’s udders overflowed onto the ground. Zelda was milking the goat now, Tseri contentedly munching away while the princess emptied her full udder.

“You’re supposed to wait for me now, Princess.” He said, making his presence known. Zelda grinned up at him in reply.

“I know! I would have waited too, but you were taking too long and Tseri was getting impatient. So, I figured I could handle it.”

 “Hmmm.” Ganondorf ran an appraising eye over her form, his gaze coming to rest on the swell of her belly. “You’re getting too big to milk easily now.”

“I know.” She sighed. “But Tseri was uncomfortable. I couldn’t leave her.” Zelda turned back around and kept milking then, and he paused for a moment, watching her hands. Those hands were not as dainty and delicate as they’d been when she first arrived – while still small, and yes, delicate in appearance, they had been toughed by work, and she now had the makings of a calloused palm. Her skin too, had changed – whereas before she had been as fragilely pale as a porcelain doll, the cream of her skin was now overlaid with gold. Her tan was slight compared to the rest of the Gerudo however, and it merely made her look illuminated from within. A new smattering of freckles over her nose completed the transformation, and he traced their path across her face with his fingers for a moment.

 “I think your freckles are getting darker.” He noted, and grinned as Zelda scowled.

“Oh, I hope not.” She said worriedly, covering her nose with her hand as though it might reverse the last several months of sun on her skin, still worrying about Hylian standards of beauty, which dictated that those unlucky enough to be born with the unsightly blight on their features had to be content with not being as beautiful as their freckle free sisters. Ganondorf rather liked Zelda’s freckles; they made her look youthful, more so than she already did, and quite innocent.

Ganondorf stood beside her, stroking a hand down Tseri’s freshly shorn flank. “And what’s this destined to be?” He asked, jerking his head at the nearly full pail.

“Cheese.” Zelda said, wiping beads of sweat from her brow. “I wanted to try my hand at that today, for I’ve only ever watched it being made.” 

“Have you got the cloth?”

“Yes, I got some a few days ago, but I haven’t had time to make the cheese yet. That’s what today is for.”

“Hmm. You mustn’t exert yourself in the heat. I don’t want you risking our child.”

Zelda laid a hand over her belly and smiled up at him. Ganondorf had been on edge throughout her pregnancy – though she had been living in the desert for just over a year, he, along with the healers, worried about the strain of her carrying a child in such extreme temperatures. She had progressed admirably through the bouts of illness however, and there was now just a little under a month to go until she was due to give birth. Ganondorf could hardly wait.

“I know, and I won’t. Will you have a busy day today?” She asked, frowning at the pail as she moved it carefully from under the goat. “Can you tell me the name of the ceremony again?”

“ _Va míreks yanæ_. And, yes, I think so. I’ll be busy with preparation, and I won’t see you again until I come to collect you this evening – so I shall be deprived of sampling your wares until tomorrow.” 

Zelda beamed – now that she’d gotten the hang of it, she was extremely proud of her growing cookery skills, and adored it when he praised a meal she had created, no matter how simple. He supposed that, to him, making a meal and eating it was part of life, but to her, having never even set foot in the castle kitchens in Hyrule, food preparation was still a magical thing.

“Better late than never.” She said with a grin, standing up and reaching to slip the rope from around Tseri’s neck – she paused and laid her hands back on her belly again, a frown on her face, and Ganondorf swiftly unlatched Tseri instead – the goat shook her head and stayed right where she was. 

Ganondorf picked up the full pail and followed Zelda into their quarters, setting it on a table near the hearth. As he set down the bucket, he noticed Zelda absentmindedly lay her hands over her belly, and he followed suite, feeling the movement of the child within.

“Not long now.” He said, and she grinned at him.

“No indeed.”

“I’ll be back a bit before sunset, most like.” He said. “Make sure you’re wearing something cool. Have fun with the cheese.”

Zelda grinned up at him. “I will.”

Ganondorf left Zelda in their quarters frowning over her pail of milk, and compared the way she was now to the way she had been. Physical differences aside, she was nearly a different person altogether. When not experimenting with meals and messing about with her goat, Zelda was to be found buried under dusty scrolls in the treasured archives. Most Gerudo could read and write, though as little time was given to such leisure’s past childhood unless they happened to be a scholar, the archives stayed mostly empty. Despite this general lack of attention, the archives remained a revered source of information from earlier times – what remained of them, that is, for the precious horde was missing plentiful volumes, papers and scrolls lost in attacks from Hyrule. Zelda split her studies into two, he knew, devoting half her time to learning the history of the Gerudo and relearning some of Hyrule’s history, and the rest was employed in learning _Ehenív_.

At just over a year of residency in the desert, she was able to read and write the language well, and while she could speak it now, Zelda wasn’t quite fluent yet – she often required the speaker to speak slowly so she could understand, but she was getting there. Ganondorf now quite frequently spoke to her in his mother tongue, deriving untold amounts of pleasure from hearing _Ehenív_ on her lips – that a Princess Zelda would ever learn to speak it burned through him with bitter satisfaction. At long last, she would respect his people and his culture – it was just a pity he’d had to marry her first.

That was not to say marriage was the trial he thought it might have been. Zelda was pleasant, respectful, and apparently eager to learn as much as possible about her new life. Her controlling father meant that she leaped to obey the moment anything that could be taken as an order left his lips, and should she fail she would tremble in obvious fear of punishment. There was a part of him that enjoyed her obedience, her fear, a part that delighted in the knowledge that should he snap his fingers she would kneel at his feet.

But. 

There was a larger part that disliked that, and this was something Ganondorf could admit to himself now. Zelda was a Princess, a Queen – she was a magnificent thing, destined always for greatness. She was born to be political, to lead her kingdom and face him as an equal, as she always had. In truth, this opinion of his was something Ganondorf disliked – knowing that it was that kind of bold, opinionated political woman that had caused the most trouble for him, why would he want her to regain that? He rubbed his beard as he recognised the truth – because this time it was different. This time, he could have a hand in her formation.

Their marriage was the key to Zelda’s lock, and now free of her father’s chains, she could become the Queen she ought to be, just like she always had – but this time, it was different. She would not hate him, she would not rule her land ignorant of those outside it. Through their marriage, he could mould her, direct her – and when he ruled Hyrule once more, they would rule together, as King and Queen.

Ganondorf admitted there was a part of him that advocated Zelda’s murder once he had what he wanted – the Hylian throne. However, with patience born of many wearied lives, he had begun to recognise that outright plotting was getting him nowhere – it was time for a new plan. This was what had prompted the peace treaty between the Gerudo and Hyrule, shaky as it was. Now… he considered carefully. The seeds of an idea he’d been formulating since Harkinian had thrown Zelda at him were maybe just now ripe for planting. However – when Zelda had revealed her pregnancy to him, it had made him reconsider all of his plans. He had no wish to cause her harm while she carried his child, and afterwards… it would certainly cause their daughter pain to lose her mother at a young age.

Indeed, he began to question whether, if he put their unborn child out of mix, if he wanted her to die at all. Once, he’d have said yes instantly, no matter the circumstances, but now… Zelda was sweet, patient and kind. She’d immersed herself in his culture in a way he’d never expected nor dared to hope, and she’d taken pains to learn _Ehenív_ – she was entirely different from any other Zelda he’d known, and a part of him wanted to see her blossom further.

Ganondorf mentally shook himself – now was not the time to be debating Zelda’s future. Today – or tonight, rather – was _va_ _míreks yanæ._ Death day. Contrary to its rather forbidding name _,_ _míreks yanæ_ was a celebration that began on the sunset of the summer solstice, and honoured the dead Gerudo warriors who had been slain in combat. It was a very important ritual, and Ganondorf took his role in the ceremony very seriously, for he was the only Gerudo who had been slain multiple times. He passed several women carting decorations ready for tonight, and he grinned as he caught sight of the marketplace, which was the main hub of preparations.

 

* * *

 

 Zelda wore the sole frown amongst the crowd of excited, chanting women. She splayed her hand over her swollen abdomen as another spasm ran through her – she’d been feeling twinges that gradually increased in how much they hurt her all day. It was just on twilight now, and the celebrations were getting underway. The offerings to the Goddess had been completed, the corpses of several goats lying by the altar, and now, the warriors were doing some sort of dance. It was certainly not a dance like she’d have seen in Hyrule – this dance was not partnered like she was used to – it was wild yet synchronised as the dancers mimicked the motions of battle, sliding easily into one movement after another, their swords replaced with burning staffs.

 Ganondorf was at the centre of this peculiar dance – he twisted and spun in time to the beating of the drums and the loud chanting of the surrounding Gerudo. Zelda had been watching the dance with avid fascination, but now as the pains in her middle grew and lengthened, she began to lose her focus as she tried to breathe through the pain.

 “Zelda?”

 She opened her eyes when she heard her name and turned to see Jaroobi, who was sitting beside her, looking concerned.

 “Are you okay?”

 “Not really.” She gasped out, and Jaroobi frowned.

 “What’s wrong?”

 “I don’t know – it just – it really hurts.” She clutched at her belly then, feeling the movement of the child within then gasping slightly as another tight, squeezing pain ripped through her, and she realised it matched with what she’d read. _About childbirth._ “I – I think I’m having contractions." 

“ _Contractions?_ But it’s too early, isn’t it?”

Zelda nodded, hunching over slightly with the pain. “Yes, too early. Nearly a whole month too early.”

Jaroobi stood up and held out her hand. “We’d best get you to the healers, and quickly.”

Sliding her hand into the other woman’s, Zelda let herself get pulled to her feet, and then she followed Jaroobi as Ganondorf’s second wove through the crowd. Most of the Gerudo were here tonight, crammed in around the meeting place where the dancing was, some sitting on windowsills and perched up on the rooftops to get a better view, so when Jaroobi had them past the main audience, heading towards the closest healers, the streets were quiet and deserted.

This meant that no one was there to see it when Zelda paused, shocked, as more pain hit her, followed by a hot gush of fluid down her legs, soaking her trousers and puddling into her shoes.

“Oh, Nayru!” She stopped to assess the damage, and Jaroobi looked even more concerned.

“Your water’s broken – you’re going into labour.”

“But I _can’t_ be! It’s too early!”

Jaroobi shook her head rather helplessly. “I don’t know why – we just have to get you to the healers.”

They finally reached the closest healer, but the woman wasn’t there – she’d be off enjoying the festivities.

“Stay here, brace yourself, and _breathe_.” Jaroobi directed, making her kneel on some cushions. “I’ll go find Masali.”

“Okay.” Zelda leaned up against the wall, breathing through the contractions as Jaroobi scooted out of the room to find the healers, and as pain rocked through her body, fear gripped at her heart – it was far too early.

 

* * *

 

Ganondorf made his way to the edge of the crowds, drink in hand. Finally, after the better part of three hours, the main ceremony was over – the spirits of slain warriors had been called down and offerings had been given, and now everyone was celebrating until dawn. The thing that was annoying him, however, was that he couldn’t seem to find Zelda – she wasn’t where he’d left her, and come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Jaroobi in a while, either – and hadn’t they been sitting together? 

He concluded that they must have shifted to another spot and shrugged, turning to re-join festivities as he sipped his drink, only to see Jaroobi elbowing her way through the celebrating crowd towards him.

“Enjoying yourself?” He asked with a grin as she reached him, and she snorted.

“Not even remotely. Zelda’s gone into labour." 

Ganondorf choked on his drink _. “Wh-what!?”_  

She nodded, the set of her mouth grim. “She has. I was there when her water broke – she’s in labour.”

He goggled at her. “But – but it’s too early! She’s only eight months gone-”

Jaroobi nodded, looking worried. “Which would indicate that something is _wrong_. I took her to Masali’s – you’d better get there fast.”

“Right.” He said grimly, and promptly warped away, landing outside Masali’s door. Masali was a cheerful woman, nearly sixty, and had masses of experience delivering children. Zelda was in safe hands with her – _but_   _I’m getting ahead of myself_ , he thought. _I don’t know what’s wrong yet_. With that in mind, he lifted the curtain and went in, finding himself in a sort of waiting room – and at that moment he heard a low groan of pain and hushed voices speaking in the next room. He recognised the voice – it was clearly Zelda who was in pain.

Ganondorf was about to storm into the next room, when someone else came out and beat him to it – it was a girl he didn’t recognise, who looked startled when she saw him.

“ _Ganondorf-ti!”_ She cried, then looked self-consciously around and lowered her voice. “I’m sorry – you surprised me.”

“And you are?” He asked impatiently.

 “I’m Verni.” She said with a nervous little smile. “I’m one of Marsali’s assistants. She came and got us out of the celebrations to say we were needed to help deliver a child.”

“And Zelda?” He asked roughly. “What’s happening to her? Why has she gone into labour so early?”

The girl looked uncomfortable. “I – I don’t know. None of us do – Masali’s only explanation is that sometimes, some women can go into an early labour – all we can do is try to safely deliver the child.”

He nodded tersely. “Can I go in?” More sounds of pain issued through the door, and he set his jaw.

Verni looked around, then back at him. “I – don’t know.” She said, sounding uncertain. “ _Zélda-iva_ was talking before – how it is unseemly for a man to witness childbirth, or something. I don’t think she’ll let you in." 

Ganondorf rolled his eyes. Of course Zelda would pick now of all times to bring her silly Hylian attitudes into play. “Then I’ll wait. Can you see if Masali will come out for a moment?”

Verni nodded. “Of course.” She scooted over to a nearby cupboard and pulled a few bottles out, then hurried back through the door. Ganondorf paced impatiently for a few minutes, and then Masali came out.

“ _Ganondorf-ti._ ” She said. “How are you?”

“It’s not me you should be asking after.” He said tightly. “What’s happening?”

She sighed and spread her hands. “All I can tell you so far is that she’s gone into early labour, which may or may not be an indicator that something is seriously wrong with either mother or child – _Zélda-iva_ is displaying no outward signs of illness or injury, so I must conclude that there is something the matter with her child, though at this moment I couldn’t tell you what.” She sighed again. “We’ve given her various medicinals to induce a faster birth, but until the child is delivered, I can’t say definitively if we can save her.”

Ganondorf nodded, gritting his teeth. “But do you think Zelda will live?”

Masali paused. “It is… a delicate situation.” She said carefully. “I don’t want to cause hope when all is lost, nor do I want to install fear where it isn’t necessary… but I’m afraid that as of now, I simply can’t tell you. I must tell you, however, that you ought to prepare for the worst.” She touched his arm briefly. “Apparently, men are not permitted to attend births in Hyrule, and she refuses to let you in, should you wish to enter. I find it very strange that they have such attitudes – shouldn’t the fathers wish to attend the birth? I explained to her that you’ve witnessed childbirth before, but she won’t allow it. It’s all very strange. Anyway, I can have one of the girls bring you some tea while you wait – I believe it’ll be some hours yet.”

He nodded. “If they’re not busy.”

 Masali smiled. “We’re waiting out her preliminary contractions so we’ve time to spare, but when the child is close to arrival, in several hours, it’ll be all hands on deck. She’s been given birth stimulants, so hopefully it won’t take as long. What I do know, however, is that she can surely pick her moments!” 

He cracked a slight grin at that. “Indeed – if she and the child do pull through, it is quite an auspicious omen, to be born of _míreks yanæ.”_

She nodded in agreement. “Indeed it is! We shall have to use that as motivation – but I must get back. Your tea will arrive shortly.”

 

* * *

 

Zelda was in pain. Agony was ripping through her midsection as each wave of contractions hit her stronger than the last, and she hunched over slightly, bracing herself on the wooden contraption designed to do exactly that. Masali had placed her on a bunch of cushions, where she was instructed to kneel and brace herself, and focus on breathing through the contractions until it was time to deliver her child. Masali had expertly examined every inch of her, manipulating the child through her skin, and testing to see if she was ready yet. She’d also fetched her some new clothing, Zelda’s soaked trousers discarded in the corner. Now, Zelda found herself clad in a loose garment not unlike a shift, though this was plain and unadorned by lace and embroidery, and was pinned up around the front, so the midwives could see what was happening and have unfettered access to the birth, while the expectant mother was also afforded some privacy.

She gritted her teeth, dipped her head and cried out as another contraction hit her, and Masali rubbed her back soothingly.

“You’re doing wonderfully, dear.” She said warmly, and Zelda shook her head, panting slightly as she pushed her sweaty hair back. She’d been having very intense contractions for three hours now, and everything hurt. 

“I’m not.” She whispered through dry lips. “It hurts.”

“I know – but it’ll pass.” 

More pain made her tense up, and Zelda curled in around herself, crying out as the contraction ripped through her. Something felt different now – there was a new sort of urgency in what her body was doing, and upon telling Masali, who promptly checked, she was deemed ready to start pushing. She couldn’t kneel for this – Zelda was helped to her feet by the two assistants in the room, and taken over to what was called the _zitmus zayts,_ which translated to something like ‘birthing blocks’. These were two timber pieces with grooves cut into them for her feet, worn smooth from years of use. They would space her feet in the prime position that would make the birth easier and raise her high enough in the air that the midwife could comfortably perform her duties. It sounded fine in theory, but in practice… Zelda bit her lip. She didn’t much fancy suffering through contractions while perched up precariously on wooden blocks.

The assistants, Verni and Sama, both held her hands as she climbed up on the blocks, and then they remained there, supporting her as she perched up there while Masali knelt before her on a pillow.  
  
“Right, _Zélda-iva.”_ She said briskly, a bowl of hot water and a pile of clean towels beside her. “Are you ready?”

Zelda nodded slowly.

 “Then let us begin.”

 

* * *

 

Ganondorf was pacing while Jaroobi sipped her tea, sitting down on a floor pillow.

“You’ll wear a hole in the floor.” She observed, sipping her tea. 

He merely frowned at her, too wound up to talk much, and kept pacing. Zelda was crying out loudly now, and he’d been waiting for over three hours – he was nearly ready to burst through the door and see what was happening. 

“Come and sit.” Jaroobi patted the pillow beside her. “You won’t do anything but tire yourself out by pacing.”

 Ganondorf sighed and sat down, picking up his abandoned teacup to take a sip. He made a face; it was cold.

“How much longer do you think it’ll be?” He asked impatiently, and Jaroobi shrugged.

“I couldn’t tell you. First time births often take a while, but Masali’s given her stimulants. I really have no idea.”

At that moment, the other assistant girl – Sama – came through the door.

_“Ganondorf-ti.”_ She said urgently.

 Ganondorf shot to his feet. “Has she had the baby?”

“Not yet, but she’s close.” Sama said, and he leaned against the wall, energy sapped.

“Then is something wrong?” Asked Jaroobi, who by this time had also stood up.

“Sort of.” Said Sama, and Ganondorf’s eyes widened in horror.

_“_ _What?”_

“ _Zélda-iva_ is having a hard time concentrating. None of us speak Hylian, and she keeps lapsing back into it and forgetting to speak _Ehenív_ … can you come in and translate for her?”

Ganondorf nodded and made for the door. “Of course.”

He heard Sama say something else to Jaroobi, but by that time, he was through the curtain and in the room with Zelda, and he was taking in the scene. Zelda was positioned up on the _zitmus zayts_ , and Verni was supporting her, while Masali knelt at her feet, giving her directions – or trying to. Ganondorf immediately saw what was wrong – Zelda was in too much pain to concentrate on translating Gerudo, and she was mumbling in Hylian. He strode over to her, taking in her form, drenched in sweat, and took over the job of holding her up from Verni, who immediately went to kneel beside Masali, murmuring lowly about the baby.

“What – what are you doing in here?” Asked Zelda faintly, her eyes shut and her face screwed up in pain, her fingers gripping his tightly. Ganondorf positioned himself so her shoulders were leaning up against his chest, giving her more support, and then he leaned down to whisper.

“It’ll be easier if you don’t have to concentrate on speaking _Ehenív_.” He murmured, and she nodded, then cried out in pain.

“Tell her to push on three.” Said Masali sharply, then started counting, and he hurried to count along in Hylian. 

“One… two… three… _now_.”

Zelda leaned forwards, body tensing and teeth clenched, and then Masali nodded.

“Nearly there. A few more should do the trick. Tell her to breathe.”

Ganondorf relayed these words to Zelda, who relaxed slightly against his chest as she rested briefly, and then she was instructed to push again, her nails biting deeply into his palm as she endured it. This happened a few more times, and then Masali smiled.

“I can see the head. This last one should do it.”

Zelda managed a smile through her panting when he told her that, and then it was time to push again, and there was no time for speaking as Masali urged her onwards.

“The head's out. Tell her to take a small break.” Masali started collecting towels to her, directing her two assistants as Zelda sagged against him and he relayed the healer’s words to her. 

“Is it nearly over?” She asked, panting hard, and he nodded. 

“Nearly. Just a bit more.” 

She nodded and readjusted her grip on his hands. “Okay…”

“Right, Zelda, you need to push now.” Interjected Masali authoritatively, and Ganondorf informed Zelda, who screwed up her face and gritted her teeth as she pushed.

“Good… good! Keep going! Nearly there!” Masali was chanting encouragement as she made tugging motions under the hem of Zelda’s shift – he assumed she had her hands on the child – and then there was a sudden burst of movement as Zelda let out a startled yet pained sort of noise, and then the cry of an infant filled the air as Masali suddenly had her hands full of squirming child. “A beautiful little girl. Well done, Zelda!” She announced as she rearranged the child, lying her on a towel. 

“ _Oh_ – oh Goddesses.” Zelda gasped out, staring down as Sama rubbed the crying child vigorously with a towel while Masali industriously tied the cord and cut it, then wrapped up the child and stood up, carrying the baby across the room to the previously prepared bowls of hot water. Sama went with her, while Verni wiped Zelda down from the heavy gush of fluid dripping down her legs.

“Help her over there, to those cushions.” She said, standing up. “She won’t be ready to deliver the afterbirth for a little while yet.”

Ganondorf nodded and helped Zelda down from the birthing blocks, almost carrying her over to the cushions and helping her get settled.

“Well done.” He murmured in her ear, and she turned to smile up at him, looking exhausted.

“That was the most horribly painful thing I’ve ever done.” She whispered, voice still rather weak from her exertion. “I knew it would hurt, but I didn’t think it’d be that bad.”

He chuckled slightly, listening to his child crying loudly, and squeezed her fingers softly. “Well, you got through it, and that’s the main thing.”

She smiled at that, reaching up to push her sweaty hair back. “I did, didn’t I? I was thinking that I would have to stop, somehow. It hurt too much.” She smiled wider then. “But we have a baby now.”

 Ganondorf nodded and grinned, cuffing her chin. “We do indeed.”

They both listened to the wail of their child for a long moment, watching as the three Gerudo women bustled around the baby. They’d bathed her by now, and were now swaddling her up in lengths of cotton. Cotton was a fairly rare fabric in the desert, but the small amounts they could get a hold of were used primarily for infants, for the cool and breathable material was perfect to swaddle babies in. Ganondorf rubbed Zelda’s back absently as she stared rapturously across the room, her gaze glued to their child, and then Masali picked up the newly swaddled baby and came back to kneel beside them.

 “Here you are.” She said with a wide smile as she put the little bundle into Zelda’s arms, and Ganondorf felt his grin slip slightly as he registered just how tiny the child was.

“She – she’s so _small_.” Said Zelda, looking a little worried. 

Masali nodded, brushing her fingers over the child’s forehead. “Yes, and she will be for a while… if she survives.” Zelda made a distressed sound, and Ganondorf held her a little tighter as Masali patted her hand. “I don’t _want_ to worry you, but she’s very premature… I’ve delivered quite a few little girls over the years who came as early as she did, and not all of them survived. You must prepare yourselves.”

 Ganondorf set his jaw as Zelda bent over the little cotton clad bundle in her arms.

“Is there a moment where we’ll know if she’ll live?” He asked tensely, and Masali pursed her lips and considered.

“Let her make it through the night, and then the week, and then you can ask me that again. It is critical, however, that she be kept warm, and that we can get her to drink, but that is not quite as important for the moment. Do you know what you want to name her yet?”

Zelda looked up at him then, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Sorousi.” She whispered, then leaned down to press her lips to the little girl’s forehead. They’d chosen the name several months ago; Zelda had been very conflicted, for it was tradition in her family to name firstborn girls ‘Zelda’, but she’d eventually agreed that ‘Sorousi’, which was a very old Gerudo name that meant ‘new wings’, would be the perfect symbol of the merging of her blood with his.

“We’ll give you a moment.” Said Masali, looking grave, and then she stood up and herded her two assistants over to the other side of the room and set them to work cleaning up the mess leftover from the birth.

“She must live.” Zelda whispered brokenly, and Ganondorf nodded.

“She came on _mireks yanæ_. The Goddess will guide her, as will the spirits of our past. They will protect her."

She nodded and took a deep breath. “Here.” She whispered, offering him the bundle. “Do you want to hold her?”

Ganondorf took his daughter from Zelda, noting the way she fit easily into one hand. “She’s _tiny_.” He said, frowning hard.

Zelda leaned heavily into him, brushing her fingers over the infant’s nose. “She’s so lovely, though. How could she…”

She trailed off, unwilling to continue the thought, and he tightened the arm he had around her waist as he gazed at his little girl, who had settled down from her crying and was now lying peacefully, her eyes half closed and her mouth opening and closing slightly, as if she was blowing bubbles. Her skin was dark, he was pleased to note, though it was possible she’d have a lighter skin tone when the purplish tinge common to newborns faded. Her hair was just as red as his, to which Ganondorf was delighted to see, though it was immediately obvious that she’d inherited her mother’s ears, long and pointed as they were.

He wanted to say that there was no possible way they’d lose their child, but… he also didn’t want to tempt fate. Ganondorf contented himself with holding Zelda a little closer as he gently rocked the baby, hoping against hope that she would live.


	12. Tílagt Amida

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of worrying about their daughter, Ganondorf and Zelda receive a visit from va tílagt amida - the soothsayer.

Zelda refastened her bodice, fixing everything into place as her daughter lay contentedly in her lap following her feed.

“Appetite still good?” Ganondorf called from his study, where he was frowning over some papers.

“She was hungry today!” Zelda replied cheerfully, picking the tiny baby up so she could burp her. “Weren’t you, Rousi?”

Sorousi didn’t reply, but that was to be expected. At nearly two weeks old, Zelda and Ganondorf were allowing themselves to cautiously hope that maybe she would survive. Masali was optimistic; the healer visited every single day without fail to check up on mother and child, and she was of the opinion that small as Sorousi was, she was healthy and fed well, and had a fair chance at survival.

Zelda stood up then, cradling Sorousi in her arms as she wandered into Ganondorf’s study, casting her gaze absently over the papers on his desk as he tugged her into his side so he could see his daughter. Sorousi was sleepy now after her meal, her eyes closed as she yawned and then settled down to sleep, and Zelda lowered her voice.

“How long until you’re done with this? Do you want luncheon?”

“Not long.” Ganondorf whispered back. “And yes I would. I’ll be out shortly.”

Zelda went back into the main living area, lying Sorousi down in her cot carefully, checking the infant’s breathing for a moment before she went to the cold chest – this being the name of the pit dug deep into the cool ground to help preserve perishables – and pulled out some things to make luncheon with. She was halfway done when there came a knock at the door, and Zelda immediately dropped everything to dart across the room and stop the visitor from waking Sorousi up.

To her eternal surprise, it was the old soothsayer, the one who’d made the premonitions at her coronation and when she’d discovered she was pregnant with Sorousi. Zelda frowned slightly.

“May I come in, _Zélda-iva?”_ The old woman spoke, and Zelda held the curtain wide.

“Yes.” She whispered. “But my baby’s asleep, so could you-”

“I understand.” The crone spoke in a hushed tone as she moved inside. “Where is _sa Tif?”_

Ganondorf came out of his study then, his expression one of curiosity and confusion when he beheld the soothsayer.

_“_ _Tílagt Amida.”_ He murmured, tone surprised and yet with a touch of reverence in it. “What are you doing here?”

“The Goddess has blessed me with another vision concerning your child. I thought it only right that you both know.”

Concern flowed through her, and Zelda frowned, as did Ganondorf.

“A vision? Of what kind?” Ganondorf’s tone was slightly sharper then, and Zelda shushed him as Sorousi stirred.

“Might I sit down?” The crone inquired first, and Ganondorf led her over to the table while Zelda checked on Sorousi and then fetched some water.

“Now.” Ganondorf said darkly when they were all seated, glasses of water before them all. “What is this about a vision?”

“Will you bring the child to me?” The prophet asked in her rattling tone, and though the old woman made her a little uncomfortable, Zelda complied, sitting next to the prophet with Sorousi cradled in her lap.

The crone was silent for a long moment, and then she reached out, resting two fingers lightly against Sorousi’s forehead; the sleeping infant didn’t notice the touch, and Zelda and Ganondorf watched in silence until the woman pulled back.

“I have seen something directly relating to all your futures.” She began, and Zelda furrowed her brow and waited for her to continue. The old woman turned to look at Ganondorf with those sightless grey eyes for a long moment.

“This child is the one who will face you in mortal combat, should you threaten Hyrule.” She intoned, and Zelda gasped.

“Wh – what?” She looked to Ganondorf, who was staring at their daughter, his features blank, eyes flat with suspicion. “How can that be? What reason would she have to – to _fight?”_

“It is her Gods given duty.” The crones shook her head slightly, making the bone beads in her hair rattle. “How could it not be? _Zayva,_ you have birthed the courageous one.”

“The _courageous_ one?” Zelda looked at the baby in her arms, stunned. “Do you mean – Courage? My daughter is _Courage?”_

The old crone directed her words to Ganondorf next, who was still silent as he watched his child. “The Gods have always had a peculiar sense of humour, as I’m sure you’d agree, _sa Tif._ They will find amusement in watching the child slay the father on the orders of the mother.”

Zelda’s mouth dropped open. “The orders of the _mother_ – You must be mistaken.” She said stiffly. “I wouldn’t-”

“But you always have.” Interjected the seer calmly. “The princess has always directed the hero, is it not known?”

“Well – I mean – I suppose, but I-”

“You cannot see what the future brings, _Zayva._ I would not make such declarations if I were you.”

“I take it by that you’ve seen it.” Zelda looked up at Ganondorf nervously – the tone of his voice was so cold it could have cut glass. “You see her directing this child against me.”

“On the contrary.” The soothsayer shifted slightly in her seat. “My sight does not work like that, as you ought to know. I see certain strands; I know this child will survive to adulthood, for it is not Courage’s destiny to die in her cradle, but from there I cannot tell you. Her path depends on the actions of others – you, _sa Tif_ , might do something that causes the _Zayva_ to harbour hatred in her heart, or perhaps she will see the devastation of her people and see no other way forward.” There was a glimmer in the sightless grey eyes now. “Some of us have forgotten where her allegiances lie; you, _Zélda-iva,_ have taken up our traditions to the point where only your skin marks you as foreign, but in wartime, you will always side with your people, for as Hylia reborn, you could never betray them. It is known.”

Zelda was feeling incredibly uncomfortable now, and she refused to look at Ganondorf, though she could feel his gaze burning holes in her skin.

“Well… yes.” She said very slowly. “I’m the Princess of Hyrule, and you are right. I could never do anything that would cause harm to my people.” She took a deep breath and looked at Ganondorf then, who had something very close to that old hatred in his eyes. It cut her to the bone. “I do not want to have to choose between you… please don’t make me.” She whispered in Hylian.

The look in his eyes morphed to slow confusion then.

“But all is not lost.” Said the soothsayer smoothly. “We talk here in absolutes, but fate does not work that way. I see you, _Zayva_ , making your resolution to not do such a thing. It is possible that this information I give you today will affect the future enough that you won’t have to. That is why I chose to tell you of what I’d seen – one strand of your fates leads to a bleak future indeed, but it may be avoided.”

Zelda almost got the impression that the crone was _pleased_ with the discord she was creating.

“But _how_ can Rousi be Courage?” She asked plaintively, cuddling her baby closer. “The hero is supposed to be a man.”

“Not always.” Ganondorf still sounded odd. “Courage is not a fixed reincarnation like Wisdom and Power. I’ve faced female heroes before.”

“That doesn’t make me feel better.” Zelda mumbled.

“The thing this hinges on, _sa Tif.”_ The crone continued, directing her remarks to Ganondorf. “Is how you and the _Zayva_ feel towards the other. Hatred and suspicion will almost certainly lead to the branch of fate in which you will face your child in battle.” She stood up then. “I see you’ve much to think and talk on. I will leave you now. _Sa Tif,_ _da lelu.”_

Zelda and Ganondorf made similar goodbyes, and then the soothsayer was gone, leaving them to stare at one another. Zelda cuddled Sorousi closer for a moment, then put her down and moved to sit as close to her husband as she dared. She could see the suspicion in his eyes, and it hurt to see.

“Ganondorf…” She said softly. “You know that I wouldn’t…” He turned his gaze away, and her heart crumbled into dust. “Ganondorf _please_.” She pleaded with him, trying to twine her fingers into his.

“You don’t.” He said darkly, and she let out a pained noise and climbed onto her knees, trying to turn his face towards her.

“Look at me.” She pleaded, and when at last he did, she could have cried to see the distrust in his golden gaze.

“Why are you crying?” He sounded… almost disgusted, and Zelda let out a sob at that.

“Because – because – you’re leaving me!” She cried, then sniffled hard, trying to pull herself together. “Please don’t – please believe me – I wouldn’t – I wouldn’t-”

“Wouldn’t you? You’ve done it before.”

“But that wasn’t me.” She whispered, cupping his face in her hands and trying to keep his gaze on hers. “You _know_ it wasn’t. It was _them!_ Other Zelda’s, not me. And you’ve known that from the start. _Please_ , don’t let this change things-”

“But it has.” Ganondorf looked away then, pulling out of her grip, and Zelda buried her face in his throat, winding her arms about his neck as fear gripped her heart. He didn’t wrap his arms around her like he usually did, and it cut her to the quick. He was pulling back, she could feel it – whatever emotional connection they’d been forging was being shattered.

“Ganondorf _please_.” She sobbed – she couldn’t go back to how it was, when no one cared for her. She _couldn’t_.

He stood up then, detangling her hands from his neck, and then he picked up the still sleeping Sorousi and walked out of the room. Zelda sat there and cried as her whole world crumbled around her.

 

* * *

 

 Ganondorf didn’t return until it was dark, and by that time Zelda was thoroughly and utterly convinced that he’d just walked out on her, taking their baby with him, and would never speak to her again. When he did return it was like a shock to her heart, and she remained curled up in their bed, her pillow wet with tears. She knew he was standing there watching her, but convinced as she was that he hated her now, Zelda didn’t look at him – she lay there and cried.

Then, Ganondorf sat down beside her, which surprised her, and then when he touched her hand she turned her head towards him, watching him silently.

“Rousi missed her mama.” He said quietly, lying the child down next to her, and Zelda propped herself up on her elbow so she could look at her daughter. Sorousi was awake, and the little girl waved a small fist in the air, drawing a reluctant smile from her mother. Zelda leaned down to kiss the child’s forehead softly, brushing her red hair back.

“I’ve had time to think about things, Zelda.” Ganondorf’s voice was soft, but she kept her gaze of Sorousi – she couldn’t look at him just yet.

“Have you?” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard.

“Why are you so upset?”

Well. That hurt. Zelda knew she’d been stupid to expect something nicer, but still. Pain tugged at her heart. Even so… she supposed it couldn’t hurt to tell him how she felt.

“Because – because – I’ve been so happy here. And – and if I had to go back to how it was, when I was alone…” her voice broke. “I couldn’t bear it.” She whispered.

Hope blossomed in her heart as Ganondorf tilted her chin up, meeting her gaze at last, though his eyes were still narrowed. “You mean that? You’ve grown attached to this place?”

“Of course I have.” She whispered. “You _know_ I have.”

“And you are crying because…?”

Oh, he was going to make her say it out loud. Zelda sniffled and twisted her fingers together, gathering up any bravery she still possessed. “I’m crying because – I know this is going to make you not trust me again. You – you’re going to pull back and – I’ll be alone again.”

“And that would bother you?”

It seemed to her that he was ruthlessly controlling his features, his movements, even his voice.

“Of course it would. I – I don’t want to be alone again.”

Ganondorf watched her for a long moment – he could see the sincerity in her tear filled eyes. Zelda was distraught – had she been crying all those hours he was gone? – because she thought he was going to hate her. He could see it now – he’d been a fool to make her so upset. His suspicion was perfectly justified, but to distance her now, with such dangerous ideas as Courage floating around, well. He’d be very foolish to continue that now. If Zelda was so desperate for his affections and attention that she would swear, as she had before, that she would never send Courage – his own child, he reminded himself – against him, then he had better keep her close. And what better way to do so than by convincing her he was sincere? In the back of his mind, however, there was a most curious emotion brewing – not all of him had an ulterior motive.

“Zelda.” He said firmly, brushing his fingers over her cheek. “You are my wife, and what I feel for you outweighs anything the wisewoman can tell me. And I must apologise for my reaction before. I let myself get caught up in the past.” Ganondorf knew that this was an imperative move – he had to explain why he’d reacted so unfavourably – it was a perfectly rational move to him, but it had hurt her, he could see it in her face… and he wanted to soothe her now. “I admit I was thinking of past Zelda’s… but you are not at all like them. I don’t believe you’d act like that, now I’ve had a chance to think about it rationally.”

She smiled then, and taking a chance, he tugged her upright and attempted to gather her closer, but Zelda pulled back, looking away from him. Ganondorf cursed the stupid prophecy then. If _this_ was the wedge that drove them apart and would eventually drive her to send Courage after him, he was not going to be very happy.

“Zelda, my sweet.” He murmured, running his fingers down her arm, utterly determined to patch things up. “Come here?”

Her mouth trembled slightly, and he could tell she was trying to resist, but then she gave up and moved towards him, letting him pull her into his arms, and he relished her little noise of contentment when she settled her head beneath his chin.

“Do you really mean that?” She asked, her voice a shaky whisper, obviously referencing his earlier words.

“I do.”

“I’m so glad.” Zelda whispered, and he stroked her hair softly. “I thought – I thought I was going to lose everything I’ve gained.”

“That will never happen.” Ganondorf murmured, holding her tightly. “I promise you that.”

Sorousi began to stir, screwing up her little face as she started to cry, and Zelda pulled back to gather the child closer, rocking her gently until she settled.

“Do you think she’ll be alright?” She asked softly, tracing their daughter’s little features. It was pretty obvious that she wanted to change the subject. “After all, she’s two weeks old. She’s doing well.”

“She is. Masali said just this morning she looks as healthy as she could be for one born so early.

Zelda’s lips turned down. “I wish I knew _why_. It’s driving me mad, wondering if it was something I did to make her come early.”

Ganondorf pulled her closer at that. “Don’t think like that. Anyway, while the _tílagt amida_ didn’t bring all glad tidings, she did say Rousi would live, and that it was certain.”

Zelda nodded and smiled softly. “At least there’s that.” She said rather shakily, adjusting a fold in Sorousi’s swaddling. Ganondorf grinned and brushed a hand through her hair, and then leaned down to press his lips to her temple, determined not to let a single doubt lurk in her mind.

“Zelda.” He murmured against her ear. “You know that I feel very deeply about you.”

She said nothing for a long moment, but her fingers tightened in his vest. “You do?”

“I do. I never expected to, but I do.”

Zelda turned pink even as she smiled, and Ganondorf felt pure relief.

“I care for you as well.” She whispered into his chest. He held her closer, trying to think of what would be appropriate to say next.

“Don’t let your father hear you say that.” He murmured, and grinned when she giggled.

“Oh, Papa would be so mad. He’d think I’d lost my mind.”

“Well, it’s his fault.” Ganondorf said comfortably. “He’s the one who put the thought of marriage into my mind.”

Inexplicably, the corners of her mouth turned down. “No.” Zelda said, her voice brittle and bitter as she rocked Sorousi gently. “You’d not have thought of me otherwise.”

Ganondorf frowned, trying to decipher her feelings. “You sound almost regretful.” He said, wondering if now was the time to inject an almost joking feel to their conversation.

Evidently, he’d said the wrong thing, because she tried to twist away from him. “Don’t… mock me.” She said quietly. “I can’t help my feelings. All I can ask is that you don’t ridicule me for them.”

_“Ridicule?”_ He said blankly, his entire train of thought demolished. “Zelda, I-”

Zelda turned to look at him then. “You – you don’t feel the same way.” She said quietly. “I’m well resigned to that. All I ask is that you don’t fling it in my face. It’d be more painful than I could bear.”

“And you’re sure of that?” He asked. “That I don’t?”

Confusion settled over her features then, confusion – and hope. “No.” She said cautiously. “That is, I _was_ sure-”

“Then you were wrong.”

Zelda stared at him, eyes wide and shocked. Ganondorf chuckled slightly.

“Why so surprised? I’ve already told you I care for you.”

“But-” She whispered, looking a little distressed. “But you couldn’t. You – you’re the Demon King-”

“And?” Ganondorf brushed his fingers over her cheek. “Does that mean I have no feelings?”

The princess looked confused. “No, but… I didn’t think you would. Considering who I am.”

“That’s a bit of a double standard, is it not?” He said easily, trying to get the conversation onto a less dangerously emotional ground. “You can have feelings but I can’t?”

Zelda turned sad then. “You know my life was miserable then.” She said, voice flat. “It’s only natural that I would… latch on, for want of a better word, to anyone who showed me kindness.”

“I don’t blame you for that, Zelda.”

She looked conflicted for a second, and then apparently decided to elaborate. “I – I made pains to try and extinguish anything I felt for you, for it would have been useless and very painful to give my heart entirely over and then never see you again.” Her lips turned up in a slight smile then. “But then Papa arranged our marriage and I – I was _thrilled_. Finally I could see some chance of happiness on my horizon. But I was still wary.” She bit her lip. “Do you remember, that day before my coronation, when you said you could come to care for me, and I had rather a fit?”

Ganondorf did remember. “You were very upset.”

“I had to guard my heart, you see.” She said slowly. “I am happy, yes, but I was _so sure_ you could never come to feel anything for me… considering who I am.”

“Well, I can say that initially, I’d have thought the same.” Ganondorf grinned at her, tilting her chin up. “But you’re not so bad after all.”

Zelda smiled slightly and closed her eyes, and Ganondorf leaned down to press his lips to her forehead, and then she grinned. “And so, bizarrely, I have Papa to thank for that.”

Ganondorf laughed out loud. “Indeed, though I doubt he’d be pleased.”

“No, he certainly wouldn’t.”

On impulse, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. “ _Sa sunli zi.”_ He murmured, and Zelda reached up, her fingers brushing his cheek.

“Could we… could we put this behind us?” She asked hesitantly. “I don’t want to lose you-”

“You won’t.” Ganondorf grinned at her, determined not to drive a wedge between them now. “Let’s focus on Rousi for now.”

Zelda smiled, looking utterly relieved, but then her expression turned anxious. “Are – are you sure? I mean, the soothsayer, she said-”

“I don’t really care what she said.” He said firmly. “So what if past princesses ordered Courage against me? You are so different to how they ever were – you don’t hate me.”

Zelda shook her head adamantly, cuddling Sorousi closer. “Never.” She breathed.

Ganondorf brushed her hair back. “Our – relationship has been quite good these last few months.”

Zelda looked upset again. “It won’t change?”

“I won’t let it.” He said firmly, and pulled her closer, their child between them, and in that moment he was utterly determined to prove fate wrong.


	13. Surprise Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorousi is now eleven months old, and Zelda has really settled into her life as Ganondorf's Queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Contains a NSFW scene!

Zelda awoke to find something tugging on her hair. She blinked blearily for a moment, confused as to what was in her hair, before fear it was some small and loathsome creature made her roll over to check. Instead of being confronted with a small keese or something equally icky, she came face to face with a wide pair of golden eyes. A smile turned the corner of her lips up as she reached out a hand, brushing her fingers over her daughter’s chubby cheeks.

“Hello.” She whispered, her voice rusty with sleep. “When did you wake up?”

Sorousi burbled happily at her – at eleven months old, the toddler was only just learning to distinguish a few words from babble, let alone form coherent sentences.

“Mahm!” She said in her high-pitched child’s tone, and unclenched her fingers from Zelda’s hair in favour of reaching up towards her mother. As Zelda properly woke up and her brain started working again, she realised Sorousi hadn’t just crawled over to her parent’s bed – she had managed to escape her cot _and_ climb the stairs.

“You cheeky little thing.” Zelda cooed, lifting her baby onto the bed with her and settling Sorousi in between her own form and Ganondorf’s snoring one. “How did you get up the stairs on your own?”

“Bah!” was her only response, before she began enthusiastically pulling at the sheet covering Zelda’s breasts with chubby fingers. Sorousi was in the process of being weaned and hated every moment of it, making her relish her dwindling feeds. Zelda grinned at the impatience of her daughter and moved the sheet down enough that the hungry child could latch onto a nipple for her breakfast.

It was very calming and quiet as she lay there in the early morning, listening to the soft snoring of her husband while she fed her baby – Zelda occupied herself with combing out Sorousi’s long red curls, thinking for a moment about Sorousi this time last year. Her premature birth had caused considerable distress amongst those who cared for her during the first few months of her life, but that panic has eased as Sorousi thrived and simply proved to be very fine boned and small in stature (as each day passed and her daughter was further out of danger, Zelda became more and more relieved about her child’s small size, as delivering a monstrously huge baby that took after her father had caused her a good deal of worry during the earlier stages of her pregnancy). Sorousi was ultimately Gerudo in appearance, with dark skin like her father, and she had also inherited his golden eyes and vivid scarlet hair, though it was something of a mystery from where she’d gotten her curls. She wasn’t wholly Gerudo though – she had Hylian touches, such as her long pointed ears, and her nose, which became more apparent the older she got, as she shed the squished features of a newborn. Gerudo had the prominently shaped nose that was a main characteristic of their race from birth, but Sorousi did not – Zelda strongly suspected her daughter would have Hylian facial features.

Reaching out to tug Ganondorf’s sheet a little higher on his hips, Zelda nodded in satisfaction of the renewal of his modesty before he revealed himself to the world (even though Sorousi was too young to understand anything like that, Zelda still preferred that she and Ganondorf stay clothed around the child at all times). This was proving a hard task, for he had an insatiable carnal apatite and was the reason she was currently nude in bed. Unfortunately, the sleeping Demon King noticed her touch and half awoke, rolling groggily over to reach for her. He succeeded in seizing her hips and pulling them into his, letting her feel his stiffening shaft, but also disrupted Sorousi in the process, who paused her breakfast in order to let her displeasure be known with a grumpy wail before she latched on again.

The noise made Ganondorf open his eyes properly, and he focused on his daughter blearily for a few seconds before he released Zelda’s hips with a sigh of disgust.

“What’s she doing awake so early?” He inquired, lifting a hand to brush Sorousi’s curls off her forehead.

“I’m not sure.” Zelda said with a grin – Ganondorf would surely be grumpy now he didn’t get to bed her this morning. “But I do know we’re both in trouble now.”

That gave him pause. “Trouble? What for?”

Zelda leaned in as much as she could. “I didn’t get Sorousi out of bed this morning. I woke up and she was right here, trying to get into bed with us. She’s figured out how to get out of her cot _and_ climb the stairs.”

Ganondorf scrunched up his nose. “Great. Now nowhere is safe.”

Zelda giggled. “No, it certainly isn’t.”

Sorousi decided that was the perfect moment to finish her meal, sitting up with a content look on her face. Ganondorf tickled her for a moment, making the little girl shriek and try to hit him.

“Don’t tickle her!” Cried Zelda. “She’s just eaten! I don’t particularly feel like being vomited on so early in the morning.”

Ganondorf theatrically pulled his hands off his daughter, and then to Zelda’s delight, Sorousi paid him back by promptly clambering up to sit on his chest… then she opened her mouth and vomited all over him.

Clamping a hand over her mouth to avoid laughing, Zelda snorted into her palm as Ganondorf glared at her before he sat up with vomit dripping down his bare chest, carrying a now very messy and giggly baby girl over towards the washbasin.

Still muffling her laughter, Zelda sat up and followed, scooping up her robe from the floor and swinging it around her shoulders before she crossed to the washbasin and rescued Ganondorf, who was trying to clean his chest as well as stop Sorousi from falling off.

“Here.” She said, picking up the baby. “I’ll clean Sorousi, you worry about yourself.”

Ganondorf nodded. “Thanks.” He then occupied himself with scrubbing vomit out of his chest hair, making a face at the white goo coating his nipple piercings.

Setting Sorousi down on the floor, Zelda knelt next to the squirming baby as she stripped her out of her soiled nightclothes, then grabbed a dampened washcloth and wiped her clean. Sorousi thought this was great fun, giggling away as she tried to grab the cloth from out of Zelda’s grasp. Finally though, the little girl was clean and Zelda carried her daughter back to bed, now dressed only in a clean cloth nappy, and played with her there until a thoroughly disgruntled Ganondorf came back to lie down, though by now he’d at least put some trousers on.

With Sorousi occupied with exploring her fingers, Zelda rolled over to kiss Ganondorf’s cheek lightly. “I did warn you.” She said playfully, and earned herself a glare in reply.

“ _Cursed_ me, you mean.”

Zelda shrugged, giving him an amused smile. “I admit to nothing, my lord.”

Ganondorf smirked and kissed her briefly. “Scheming baggage.”

Moving closer so her head was tucked beneath Ganondorf’s chin, Zelda stretched out a hand to move Sorousi closer, tucking a wayward red curl behind the child’s ear. The fact that she could touch him so casually still amazed her even now. They’d had a rocky few months following the revelation that Sorousi was Courage, but after much talking, they’d ultimately decided that a happy home life would give them a better chance of yielding a peaceful fate. It had taken time, but now Zelda was quite sure that Ganondorf actually felt genuine affection for her. Somewhat sure, anyway.

“What are your plans for today?” She inquired of her husband, who sighed deeply before replying.

“There’s been a few more reports of monsters too close to the fortress for comfort, so today we are going out to make a sweep and hopefully kill anything we find. You?”

“We would have had lessons, but there’s a _kura thést_ on today and they all begged leave on bended knee, so I let them have the day off. I’ll take Sorousi down to the archive with me instead, after I’ve milked Tseri.”

Ganondorf sounded interested now. “How are you liking teaching the youngsters?”

Zelda grinned. “It’s been great fun. I mean, now that I’m more or less fluent in _Ehenív_ it’s a whole lot easier, and the little girls are all very helpful if I forget a word. We have a wonderful time, and so does Sorousi.”

He chuckled at that. “What does she do?”

“She tries to eat the counting blocks and generally makes a nuisance of herself, but at playtime she just adores being with the other girls.”

“I’m sure she does.”

Sorousi decided she was sick of being ignored and clambered up to wedge herself between them; Ganondorf sacrificed his hand for the little girl to fiddle with so he and Zelda could continue their conversation.

“What kind of monster?” Zelda asked, and the Gerudo King frowned deeply.

“I’m… not sure. At first we thought it was a geldarm or something, but now… with the patterns in the sand we think it’s something bigger. Maybe a moldorm. One of the big ones.”

“Something dangerous?” She asked, though she already knew the answer to that.

“Of course. That’s what makes it fun.”

“Be careful.” She whispered, and felt rather than heard him chuckle.

“You don’t think some mere monster could best the likes of _me_ , surely?”

Zelda grinned, sensing a prime opportunity to rile him up. “No, but I’d hate for you to become… _impaired_. You see, you’ve yet to give Sorousi a sister.”

There was a rather startled pause, and then Ganondorf pulled her closer, his hand splayed firmly over her backside, making Sorousi squeak as she got sandwiched between them.

“I ought to thrash you, princess wife.” He murmured in her ear. “Saying such tempting things in a child’s presence…”

Zelda snickered into her hand. “I do like it when you confirm all my expectations of you.”

She was distantly aware of one fiery brow being raised disbelievingly.

“Oh?”

Turning with a smile to her daughter, Zelda chose not to answer that.

Ganondorf didn’t like this, and let her know it when strong fingers grasped her jaw and tilted her head up. “You want to bear more of my children?” He murmured.

Zelda smiled softly. “I wouldn’t object.” She said playfully, watching heat flare in those dangerous golden eyes.

Ganondorf’s hand trailed down her body to her hip, and all of a sudden his eyes were very intense. “Don’t tempt me, Princess.” He said, voice deep with lust. “It can’t happen yet.”

Zelda raised a brow. “Not yet?” She asked curiously. “Why not? You – you don’t want me to bear any more of your children.” She looked down as nerves and rejection washed through her. She was Hylian. Of course he wouldn’t.

Ganondorf tilted her chin up. “Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see you as the mother of my children.” He said seriously. “I meant, I have reason not to have you with child just yet.”

Zelda smiled up at him, feeling reassured. “Why, particularly?”

Ganondorf picked up her hand and played with her fingers. “Let’s just say… I’m planning something, and… I’ll have enough to worry about without adding my unborn child into the mix.”

She raised a brow at him. “That doesn’t sound suspicious at all.”

That made him chuckle. “Well… some people won’t like it, that’s for sure. But you will.”

Zelda mock narrowed her eyes at him. “Something that I’ll like, yet I can’t be pregnant because you will worry… what are you planning?”

At that exact moment, Sorousi got tired of being ignored and let her displeasure be known by socking her father in the jaw. Zelda laughed into her fingertips as Ganondorf jumped theatrically then pinned the baby down to tickle her. All too soon, Sorousi was complaining about being hungry, to which her father informed her that she wouldn’t be hungry if she hadn’t thrown up all over him.

Zelda sat up and took Rousi downstairs then, settling the little girl into her highchair and giving her a bowl of mashed fruit to eat, only to then find herself being scooped into Ganondorf’s arms and carried back upstairs.

“Ganondorf!” She giggled. “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking advantage of Rousi’s distraction.” He replied with a grin, before lying her down on their bed and covering her form with his own.

Zelda laughed slightly as he nipped at her throat. “She’ll be done soon.”

“Then we’d best get a move on.” He murmured, right before he kissed her. Zelda sighed contentedly against his mouth, winding her arms around his neck. Ganondorf slid a hand beneath her back, tugging her into his form, and then he rocked his hips into hers, letting her feel the hard bulge in his trousers.

Ganondorf’s impatient mouth left hers after a moment and travelled down to her collarbone where he nipped at her skin, making her squeak. He soothed the sting with his tongue, distracting her while his fingers worked busily to untie her robe and part it gently.

Ganondorf meandered down to her breasts and took a nipple lightly into his mouth. Zelda’s eyes fluttered closed as a sigh of pleasure escaped her lips and she twisted her fingers into his hair, guiding his movements as he laved and nibbled at her nipples, suckling gently. The first time he’d drunk from her she’d been beyond mortified, but with coaxing and time, he’d managed to convince her that is was perfectly natural – and it wasn’t as though the sensation was unpleasant. When at length he pulled back, Ganondorf tugged her upright before him and then he pulled her into his lap, taking her mouth once more.

Ganondorf seemed quite content to hold her to him, and Zelda marveled at the way he touched her – even now, long after he’d first sated his curiosity with her body, he still wished to touch her, to kiss her, to bed her. It was a little confusing, to be sure, and she didn’t think she had the courage to ask him why, but really, she was content to let it be. She was… happy with her life now. He told her he cared for her often, and now, she could let herself believe it.

Despite having always dreaded becoming locked into a loveless marriage, where her husband would have surely terrorized and controlled her to a similar degree as her father had, Zelda had never expected she would have anything other than a miserable marriage, and so life in the desert had come as something of a surprise to her. She was happy here, she recognised as Ganondorf swiftly removed her robe, baring her body completely to his gaze. She was a Queen now, and though she purposefully kept herself a little distant from Gerudo politics (owing in part to the language barrier, and also that she had no wish to anger Ganondorf by meddling in his affairs), he seemed to _want_ to include her. It was baffling at times. More than that, she was the mother of a beautiful little girl, and though the Triforce of Courage meant the future was uncertain, Zelda really didn’t think she could be blamed for enjoying the present.

She gasped and closed her eyes as Ganondorf’s hand slid between her legs, and Zelda decided that just for the moment, she’d put her ruminations to the side. Whatever his reasons, whatever his motives, she couldn’t deny that Ganondorf set out to please her in bed, and please her he did. Long fingers delved inside her, drawing a rush of slickness between her thighs and causing heat to swamp her frame.

“Oh…” Zelda sighed, prompting a chuckle from the Gerudo King as he crooked his fingers inside her, making her gasp and shift her hips. She swayed a little closer, tangling her hands in his hair so she could pull his mouth to hers, her customary shyness making her feel almost uneasy about her boldness until he groaned in approval. Lost in her delight, Zelda let her hands trail down his chest until they were dangerously close to the bulge in his trousers. They both stilled as she began to unlace his trousers, fumbling the thin cords a little before she got it undone. Ganondorf lifted a hand and stroked her hair soothingly, and Zelda flashed him a quick embarrassed smile, appreciating the gesture as she recognised it for what it was – silent approval of her actions. Thus encouraged, Zelda let her fingers trail over the firm lump in his pants, then tugged at the hem, a small gasp escaping her as his very impressive manhood sprang free.

Ganondorf chuckled at her reaction, brushing his fingers over her cheek as he did so.

“Surely you can’t _still_ be surprised.” He teased, and she blushed but grinned.

“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, per se.” She whispered back. “I may still be _awed_ , perhaps, but not _surprised_.”

There was a moment where Ganondorf looked almost startled, and then a wicked grin crossed his features as he pulled her closer. “ _What_ a compliment.” He purred in her ear, nipping at her skin and making her shiver. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d say something like that out loud, though.” He said, curiosity bright in his tone.

Zelda giggled slightly. “Once I never would have dared. But I think living here where everyone is so outspoken has influenced me a little.”

That seemed to please him, for whatever reason. “And if a Hylian advisor were here, would you joke with them?” Ganondorf inquired.

Zelda looked down. “I… don’t think so.” She said quietly. “At least… people here don’t dismiss me when I speak to them.”

He sounded angry now, and she didn’t dare look up. “Fools.” He growled. “I do not understand them.” Ganondorf’s fingers made their way beneath her chin and tilted her head up. “Do not think of them.” He said, sounding almost kind. “Besides, we haven’t got much time to spare.”

That brought her smile back. “Oh, yes.” She whispered, placing both hands back on his abdomen.

Ganondorf trailed his hand up her belly to her breasts, cupping them lightly, then tweaked her nipples. “I do like your enthusiasm.” He said, a decidedly mischievous smirk draped across his features. Zelda snickered and lowered her hands back to his impressive arousal, earning a groan when she wrapped her fingers around him. Stroking him softly, she moved her hands as he had shown her how, slow and lingering, one hand dipping down to fondle his heavy sack, until pearly liquid beaded at the tip and he groaned. Capturing his gaze, Zelda very deliberately swiped her fingers across the tip of his shaft then slipped them into her mouth, suckling delicately at the lingering taste of his essence.

Ganondorf’s eyes darkened and he growled, crushing her against his chest as he mumbled against her mouth. “You little tease.”

Zelda giggled against his lips, looping her arms about his neck to pull herself closer.

“I think you said something about having little time?” She whispered, and he groaned into her throat then nipped her flesh lightly. Ganondorf’s teeth were wickedly sharp, and they made her skin prickle each time he bit her. Zelda grinned and pulled his face up to hers so she could kiss him, and he readily obliged her before he pushed her back off his lap and positioning her on the bedding in front of him. His gaze roamed over her bare skin hungrily, and then he spread her thighs and settled in between them.

Zelda whimpered and moaned each time he bit her as he inched down her body, tracing his tongue along her skin and dipping into her navel for a moment, before he continued lower, his fingers biting into the muscle of her thighs as he spread her wide and simply watched for a moment. Zelda tried arching her hips towards him, even as her cheeks burned red – it was very embarrassing to her still, but he did this often enough that she _wanted_ his mouth on her most private place. She heard Ganondorf chuckle, the sound barely audible over her desperate cries, and then he leaned in, his tongue on her wet flesh making her arch her back and moan, her fingers coming to rest in his fiery hair, attempting and yet failing to push him harder against her.

Ganondorf grinned to himself as Zelda’s whole body bucked against him, her thighs tight around his head, her heels digging into his spine as he licked her firmly, relishing her taste on his tongue. She tugged on his hair relentlessly, her moans and cries spurring him on as he worked to give her pleasure, to push her over the edge. Shifting his hands from her hips to under her backside, Ganondorf lifted her higher into the air, giving himself more room to explore her sweetness. She was close now, he could tell, for her form was stiff despite her writhing, and her cries had reached a high, almost broken pitch as she began to beg for her release. Zeroing in on her clit, he sped up his movements, holding her hips immobile as she twitched and shuddered, and then she exploded on his tongue, her back arching as she threw her head back, wailed, and rode the wave.

Ganondorf grunted in approval as he lapped up her juices, thoroughly enjoying the taste of her as he waited for Zelda to come down from the clouds. When her form went limp, he lowered her legs back to the bed and crawled up her body to see her face. Zelda’s eyes fluttered open and she gave him a dreamy smile as he leaned down to take her mouth, and before he knew it she’d pushed herself upright and ended up in his lap, her arms around his neck as she kissed him fiercely.

With a growl, Ganondorf jerked his trousers down enough to free his cock properly, then grabbed Zelda’s hips and lowered her onto him, thoroughly enjoying her breathy moan of pleasure. She flexed her hips in his grip and somehow she tightened around him, making him groan.

He began to slide her up and down on his cock, teeth gritted at the pressure of her wetness around him, savoring her moans and the bite of pain from her nails in his forearms. She was so lovely.

With that in mind, he abruptly pulled her off him. Zelda, whose eyes had been closed as she whimpered in time to his motions, stared at him confusedly. Ganondorf grinned at her and lay her down on the bed, covering her form with his own.

Leaning down, he took her lips, sliding a hand beneath her back to pull her form into his, his aching shaft grinding into her belly. Zelda moaned against his mouth, tangling her fingers into his hair as the kiss grew heated, parting her lips for his tongue as he growled against her.

Pulling back slightly, Ganondorf admired her naked form before spread her thighs enough to move her down where he could enter her once more. Zelda sighed softly, and he had to agree with her sound of pleasure as she tightened around him, her slick inner muscles pulling him deeper. With one hand on her hip to hold her steady and the other tangled in her hair, he braced himself on the bedding and began to move within her, groaning softly and enjoying Zelda’s constant stream of whimpers as he filled her. It was slow now, very slow, and he closed his eyes, focusing on nothing but the touch of Zelda’s body against his.

By now, her hands had snaked up and tangled back into his hair, holding on tightly as he thrust into her at an increasing rate, and Ganondorf gritted his teeth as he felt his release approaching, and pushed himself upwards, tugging her hips off the bed to meet his strokes. Zelda wrapped her legs firmly around his waist, her head thrashing from side to side as he slid a hand to her clit and began to rub her in unrelenting circles. She immediately clenched around him, which only made him growl with the effort of abstaining from climax as he rubbed her most sensitive place, thoroughly enjoying the way her body twitched and trembled from his touch, and then it all proved too much for her as she threw her head back and wailed from her release. The rhythmic clenching of her inner walls made him groan in pure pleasure as finally he let his release wash over him, and Ganondorf lowered Zelda’s legs back to the bed and lay down beside her, where she then cuddled up in the crook of his elbow, and Ganondorf rolled onto his side, the better to see her face. She smiled up at him as he did so.

“I suppose we’d better see what Rousi’s up to.” He murmured, and Zelda snickered.

“At long last.”

He grinned as Zelda sat up at a leisurely pace, pulling her silk robe back on. Ganondorf leaned in and kissed her briefly, and then tugged on his trousers.

“Come on.”

Zelda slipped her fingers into his as they walked downstairs, and found Rousi happily playing in the remnants of her fruit. The little girl had eaten most of it, and then decided to smear her leftovers all over her chair.

Ganondorf grinned as Zelda sighed exasperatedly, and then he pulled the child out of her seat. “I’ll tidy Rousi.” He said, and Zelda rolled her eyes.

“And leave me with the chair? I can see right through you.” She was grinning though, so he knew she was joking.

Mostly.

After a quick breakfast, Zelda was sitting with Sorousi cuddled on her lap, jiggling her in time to a song, and then Ganondorf arrived back downstairs again, this time fully dressed and carrying weapons, ready to go hunting. He leaned down to pull Sorousi in for a brief hug, and then Zelda smiled as he kissed her softly. She threaded her fingers into his hair and deepened the kiss for a moment, and Ganondorf chuckled slightly.

“We should be back by nightfall.” He murmured. “With the head of a monster on each pike.”

“Charming.” She whispered against his lips.

“Have fun in the archives.”

Zelda smiled as she let her hand trail over his cheek. “I will.”

Ganondorf kissed her hard for a moment, and then he was off, loping out the door with ready grace – sometimes his fluidity of movement surprised her, considering his size. A soft smile on her face at the memory of his kiss, Zelda scooped up Sorousi and dressed them both for a day in the archives.

The archives were stored underground where it was safest, away from the damaging heat. It was very gloomy down there, however, and she’d managed to lose Sorousi quite a few times in the darkened stacks, for the toddler was proving to have quite the adventurous disposition ever since she’d learned to crawl. In fact, she was almost on the verge of walking – she was able to pull herself to her feet if she was holding onto something, and Zelda couldn’t help but feel a touch apprehensive about keeping track of the baby when she could walk. Now Zelda was sitting on the floor with Sorousi besides her playing with a little cloth doll while she read – she was deeply engrossed in a eye-witness account of an attack on Hyrule. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sorousi begin crawling away.

“Stay here, baby.” She murmured.

“Bug!”

“Mmm-hmm.” Zelda hummed, turning the page. Bug was one of Sorousi’s favourite words, ever since she’d found a small and harmless scorpion to play with in the courtyard while Zelda was milking Tseri once – she was very fond of bugs, and hadn’t yet learned to be scared of poisonous ones.

_“Bug!”_

Sorousi’s doll hit the ground when she threw it, catching Zelda’s eye and making her look up.

“ _Bug!”_

Zelda turned her head towards her daughter and when she really caught sight of what her daughter was looking at, she froze. Lurking in the shadows only a few metres away was not the small insect Zelda had been expecting, but rather an insectoid beast easily several metres long. It was watching them, a long stream of venom dripping from the slowly opening mandibles – and Sorousi was crawling towards it.

Zelda immediately lurched to her feet and ran forwards, scooping the far too inquisitive for her own good child into her arms and froze again, locking eyes with the beast. It rose up on its back legs, clicking ferociously and clearly issuing a challenge.

She swallowed hard and cast her gaze about for a weapon – the Gerudo were not in the habit of leaving weapons down here, so unless she wanted to throw a book at it, she was pretty much stuck. In that moment, Zelda had never wanted to be able to use her magic so much in her life. She was defenceless… and she had her daughter with her.

Very carefully, Zelda began to edge backwards, tightening her grip on Sorousi, who was beginning to grizzle from being held when she wanted to crawl – her noise was further catching the creature’s attention. Very abruptly, Zelda turned and ran, tearing through the shelves as fast as she could, nearly bouncing off several of them. An awful clacking and chittering behind her told her she was being followed, and Zelda clutched her baby tighter to her chest as she took the stairs two at a time. She burst out the door and looked back only to panic at the sight of the thing climbing the stairs behind her, so she took off towards a group of Gerudo she could see milling around. They turned to look at her, and Zelda knew the exact moment they saw the beast, because all around her screams erupted as mothers dashed to scoop little girls off their feet while others began to yell for the guards. Zelda didn’t look back, despite her terror that someone would be hurt, and ran all the way back to her quarters.

Sorousi was crying hysterically by this time, having not appreciated the bouncy rough ride as they ran through the streets, and Zelda collapsed on a floor pillow and let herself sag for a moment before she saw to her child.

“My darling… Sorousi, don’t cry.” She murmured, brushing the little girl’s hair away from wet cheeks then pulling her into her embrace. Zelda succeeded in getting Sorousi to sleep after the baby tired herself out from her crying, and slowly carried her upstairs to tuck her into bed.

There came a knock at the doorframe, and Zelda scurried back downstairs to see who it was before they called out and woke Sorousi.

“Zelda?” It was Jaroobi. “Are you okay? Sorousi?”

“We’re fine.” She whispered in _Ehenív_ , pulling open the curtain to reveal Ganondorf’s most trusted advisor, and her closest friend in the valley. “I’ve just got her to sleep. What happened?”

“It’s dead.” Jaroobi said, lowering her voice. “Where did it come from?”

“I don’t know.” Zelda shrugged uncomfortably. “I was reading in the archives and Sorousi started talking about a bug, and I thought she just meant a small bug, but then I saw it. What _was_ it?”

“That was a mini-moldorm.” Jaroobi looked concerned. “It was _inside_ the archives?” Zelda nodded, and the other woman frowned. “How did it get in?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Was anybody hurt?”

Jaboori’s brow cleared. “No, thank the Lady. We’re cleaning up the carcass now… but if it was _inside_ the archives… it must have tunnelled in. We’ll have to scout. Promise me you won’t go back in there for a while, Zelda. I know you like it there.”

Zelda shook her head. “Oh, no. I have no intention of going down there just yet.”

“Good.” Jaroobi put her hand on her shoulder. “You’re all right, truly?”

Zelda nodded and let out a shaky breath. “I’m fine, really. I’m just a little shaken up; that thing was faster than it looked. I’ll just go back up to Sorousi and have a lie down, and then I’ll feel better.”

The Gerudo woman nodded. “All right. If you’re sure.” She turned to leave, but Zelda reached out and touched her arm.

“Wait… Ganondorf isn’t back yet, is he?”

Jaroobi shook her head. “Not yet. But we’ll tell him what happened the moment he does.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

After Jaroobi left, Zelda took herself back upstairs along with a fresh pitcher of water; she drank a glass while sitting on the edge of the bed, and then climbed in to lie down next to her daughter. She ran a hand through Sorousi’s red curls, and closed her eyes against the tears prickling there – she was a terrible mother. If that thing – the mini-moldorm – had been faster than her… she wouldn’t have been able to protect her daughter. Zelda lay there in silence picturing the most horrible things until sleep finally claimed her.

 

* * *

 

 Ganondorf was in an excellent mood as the hunting party arrived back at the stables. They hadn’t found the exact monster they’d set out to hunt, but they’d tracked and killed some minor inconveniences, making it safer to venture outside the fortress gates. That good mood evaporated the very second Jaroobi came screeching to a halt before him. She’d hurried through a garbled explanation that a mini-moldorm had burrowed into the archives, which sent a chill down his spine, and when she said it had attacked Zelda and Sorousi, he was gone, instantly warping to his quarters. Zelda wasn’t in the downstairs area, so he took the stairs two at a time as panic ripped through him – if she wasn’t there either he was sure he’d rip all his hair out in worry.

Thankfully she was, curled up in bed with Sorousi. At first he thought they were both asleep, but then Zelda lifted her head to look at him.

“Zelda.” He breathed, crossing the platform to sink down on the edge of the bed, taking her outstretched hand. “You’re unharmed? Both of you?”

She nodded, her red eyes telling him she’d shed a few tears over this. “We’re fine.” She whispered.

Ganondorf silently thanked the Goddess as he climbed onto the bed properly, touching the sleeping Sorousi’s shoulder to reassure himself that his child was not injured, then turned to his wife. Concern flowed through him and made his touch tender as he brushed her hair back from her face.

“What happened?” He asked.

Zelda wiped under her eyes and he pulled her into his lap, where the princess curled into him, her head on his chest. Zelda recounted the story fairly quickly, as though she didn’t like to think of it, and then she raised a pale face.

“If that thing had been any faster, it would have caught me.” She whispered, horror clear in her tone.

Ganondorf swore under his breath and gathered her closer. “But it wasn’t. Focus on that, Zelda.”

“You’re missing my point.” She said, sitting up slightly and looking determined. _Very_ determined. He wondered what on earth she meant.

“Your point?”

“That moldorm didn’t reach me, sure, but what if it’s not the only thing lurking in the archives?”

Ganondorf grimaced at this very unpleasant thought. “We’ll have the place thoroughly searched, don’t wor-”

“No, listen please. I don’t _just_ mean moldorms in the archive. Surely you heard that story a few weeks ago, about the woman who went to put her baby down for a nap and there was a serpent in the cot?”

“Yes, I heard it.” He said automatically. “But Zelda, what-”

“ _That_ is my point, Ganondorf.” She said with a decisive nod. “There are many, _many_ things in the desert… and I can’t protect my child from them.”

Oh.

“That is a good point.” He said slowly, thinking about it. “I did not think of it that way.”

Zelda nodded firmly. “Exactly. Ganondorf, I want you to teach me to defend myself. At the moment, I’m worse than useless. What good is a mother who can’t protect her child? And Sorousi is so inquisitive. When she gets a bit of speed up there’s no stopping her. She crawled _towards_ that moldorm.”

“Foolish child.” Foolish, _courageous_ child. He nodded but then frowned. “You won’t be able to fight like a Gerudo in a few weeks, if that’s what you’re thinking.” He warned, but paused when Zelda shook her head.

“No, I don’t mean physically. I’m well aware that even if I should start training now, I’d likely do more harm than good should I try to use those skills – I want you teach me to use my magic.”

Ganondorf paused and pursed his lips. On the one hand, he could see the rationality in the plan… but on the other, she had light magic. And his experiences with that particular brand of magic had never been pleasant.

“I… can see your reasoning.” He said slowly, more for something to say as Zelda looked at him expectantly, and then she deflated a little.

“You don’t think it’s a good idea.” She said, sounding crushed. “I knew it. You don’t think I could do anything of worth.”

Ganondorf’s eyes widened at this statement. “Don’t be ridiculous, Zelda.” He murmured, hauling her a little closer. “It’s a good idea – I was just pausing because my experiences with your light have never been fun.”

“Oh.” Surprise coloured her tone. “Then you will help me?”

He nodded. “I will. You’re right, you know – the desert is a hazardous place, and Sorousi spends most of her time with you, thanks to my duties… it would be a lot wiser, certainly, if you can defend yourself when there’s no one else there.”

Zelda smiled his favourite smile. “Thank you.” Her brows drew together then. “But – your duties. Will you have time to do this?”

Ganondorf kissed her hand. “I’ll make time. The safety of my wife and child must always be paramount.”

She reached up to brush her fingers over his cheek. “Thank you.” She whispered fervently.

“So when do we start?” He mused out loud, easing them back so he could lie down with Zelda tucked into the crook of his arm, Sorousi still out for the count beside them. “First things first, I think.” Ganondorf said, interrupting himself. “How much magic can you reach? Can you feel any?”

“I can feel some.” She said thoughtfully, as if she were reaching inside to examine how much she did have. “I – I can make things light up with a golden light, and make small things float. That’s about all… when I was younger, my father had my nursemaid beat me for trying a spell I found in a book… I haven’t really tried to use it since.”

Ganondorf took a moment to indulge in a fantasy during which he ripped Harkinian’s heart out, then forced himself back to the presence. Harkinian had ordered physical violence against his daughter, he knew, but it was jarring to hear of it all the same. “I see. Well, I’ll sort out some exercises for you, to strengthen your grasp on your magic, for want of a better word. You can’t learn any enchantments until you can reach your magic properly for wielding.”

Zelda nodded and smiled softly, closing her eyes as she pressed herself closer. “Thank you.” She whispered, her voice so fervent he almost couldn’t believe she was speaking to him.

Ganondorf wanted nothing more than to stay there with her and wait until Sorousi woke up, but he was needed elsewhere. He had to go and assess the damage, and try to figure out how the mini-moldorm had gotten inside the archives. With this in mind, he leaned down to kiss Zelda’s forehead.

“I should go. I have to see what’s being done with the moldorm.” He murmured, noting the very brief flash of disappointment across her features and feeling a sudden surge of possessiveness – she wanted him to stay with her. “You’ll be alright here?”

Zelda nodded. “I’ll be fine. You go.”

Ganondorf leaned in to press his lips to her forehead, and Zelda twined her arms about his neck, holding him tightly for a moment. He returned her embrace for a heartbeat, then sat up, disentangling himself regretfully.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Zelda nodded. “I’ll be here.”

For whatever reason, her words, the way she simply watching him as he moved, made it all the more harder to walk away.


	14. Training and Treachery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf begins to train Zelda in the use of magic, and back in Hyrule, Harkinian receives an unexpected guest.
> 
> Contains a NSFW scene!

There was a bead of sweat dripping down her forehead. It was irritating, but Zelda refused to wipe it away just yet. She concentrated harder, putting all she had into the act of deflecting the projectiles Ganondorf was firing at her – he was warping from spot to spot, flinging another sand filled leather ball at her before warping away. She was using her magic to intercept the projectile before it hit her and fling it harmlessly away. She narrowed her eyes, waiting for the subtle shift Ganondorf had taught her to recognise as magic manipulating the fabric of space to allow him to warp – he was behind her. She spun on her heel, sand flying up around her as she flung out an arm, a golden arc extending from her fingertips to smash into the leather ball currently whistling through the air towards her – the arc knocked it back with such force she saw Ganondorf’s brows contract with real worry as it hurtled towards his face, and then he brought his hand up and the leather imploded with a sharp _crack_.

Cheers erupted from the spectators surrounding them, and Ganondorf grinned and straightened, raising his hand to signify the lesson was over. Zelda exhaled deeply and relaxed her stance, a broad smile on her face as she finally wiped the sweat from her brow.

“Well done.” Ganondorf said in a low tone as he waked towards her. “You’ve not gotten hit for a month straight now.”

Zelda beamed. “It’s much easier. Much easier to control now.”

The corner of his mouth hitched up. “See? I told you my expert tutelage would do the trick.”

She snickered. “Oh yes, it’s _definitely_ all your hard work, not the months of training I’ve put in.”

Ganondorf chuckled and clapped her firmly on the shoulder, nearly knocking her off her feet in the process. The reached the edge of the training pit and moved into the main part of the stands, where multiple Gerudo were waiting with praise, water, and a little girl who was clearly having the time of her life as she rolled in the sand. Zelda gratefully accepted a waterskin as Ganondorf scooped up Sorousi, a veritable waterfall of sand pouring from the toddler’s trousers. Sorousi, of course, thought this was very funny.

“You improve every day, Zelda.” Said Maronno warmly. “You’ll take on great armies next.”

Zelda snorted a laugh while she was drinking and spluttered water everywhere. “I’m glad you have such faith in me.” She said, to everyone’s general amusement.

“Perhaps we ought to test your skills against some real opponents then.” Mused Ganondorf.

Zelda raised a brow. “ _Real_ opponents?”

He nodded, still looking rather thoughtful. “Yes, I’ll take you out on the dunes this afternoon. You can try your hand against some leevers.”

Zelda scrunched up her face doubtfully. “Are you sure?”

“You’ll be fine. Anyway, I’ll be there. Yorjoru, will you watch Sorousi?”

“Of course.” Yorjoru had two small daughters of her own, and Sorousi loved going over to play. “My girls have missed her. They’ll enjoy themselves.”

“Then it’s settled. Meet me at the stables at two.” Ganondorf took another sip of water, then handed Sorousi over. “I have to find Jaroobi.” With that, he left.

Zelda watched him go with raised brows, then kissed her daughter on the forehead lightly. “Leevers?” She asked no one in particular.

“There’s a nest of them not far from here.” Said Elavi thoughtfully. “That’s probably where he’ll take you.”

“Ah.” Zelda nodded and put down the waterskin, jiggling Sorousi absentmindedly. “In that case, I’d best be off. I have to change into something appropriate for riding.” She turned to Yorjoru then. “I’ll bring Sorousi around on my way to the stables.”

There was a chorus of goodbyes, and then Zelda headed back to her quarters. Sorousi played with her doll while Zelda changed, and then she scooped her daughter up to take her to Yorjoru’s home.

Having kissed Sorousi goodbye and left her playing with Yorjoru’s daughters under their mother’s watchful eye, Zelda headed to the stables, where she found Ganondorf waiting beside two saddled horses.

“Ready to go?” He asked with a smirk.

“As I’ll ever be.” Zelda replied, looking at him doubtfully.

His lips hitched up into a smirk as he turned to mount his enormous stallion, and Zelda did the same. She was quiet until they’d passed through the fortress gates, and then she turned to her husband, who was busy scanning the horizon.

“So where are these leevers?” She inquired curiously.

“There’s a nest in the dunes. This way.”

Zelda eyed him suspiciously as they rode. “So… what exactly do you want me to do?”

“The nest is not too far away. When we get there, I’ll catch their attention, and they’ll swarm us. I want you to deflect as many as you can.”

Zelda wrinkled her nose. “Well… okay.”

They reached the nest, as Ganondorf said, fairly quickly, and Zelda eyed the entrance to the burrow with apprehension. “You’re sure about this…?” She asked again, and Ganondorf chuckled.

“I’m sure.”

He lifted a hand that glowed with magic, and though she wasn’t exactly sure what he’d done, she knew it was something – from deep inside the earth came outraged chittering, and then the sounds of many rushing feet reached her as roughly seven fat leevers came crashing out of the mouth of the cave, then burrowed underground for a surprise attack.

“Oh, Nayru.” Zelda said softly, panic rising as her horse whinnied in terror and tried to back up.

“Aim for the heads.” Ganondorf called, looking calm and collected though prepared.

Thinking fast, Zelda dismounted, her horse immediately turning to flee. Planting her feet, she called her magic and closed her eyes, using it to enhance her senses and feel where the leevers would erupt through the sand.

Ganondorf stared at the princess, feeling bewildered. Why on earth had she gotten off her horse? Was she mad? He tightened his reins and went to ride towards her.

“Zelda, what are you-”

He was interrupted by the first leever tearing through the sand to lunge at Zelda – who still had her eyes shut. Curses falling from his lips, he urged the stallion forwards then stopped as Zelda neatly sidestepped the attack, her form shimmering golden as she used her magic to extend her movement, sliding several meters into the air. At the peak of her arc, she pulled her arms back, a bow of golden light forming in her hands. Ganondorf watched, astonished, as she loosed an arrow and dropped back to the ground just as the leever screeched and collapsed, an arrow of glistening light protruding from its skull. 

He swallowed hard. Ganondorf had not expected her to do that – he’d thought she’d merely deflect them or use a shield. She’d only started using the light arrows fairly recently, though she’d been training with her magic for five months now. Apparently there was something instinctual about it. A leever erupted through the sand to attack the legs of his horse, and he used his magic to snap its neck before turning back to Zelda, who by now had three more kills to her name.

The final two leevers teamed up to try and take her down, and Ganondorf stared, his mouth suddenly dry, at the look of intense concentration on Zelda’s face as she pushed a hand forwards, causing the sand at her feet to surge into a wave that smashed into the first leever, rolling it backwards into the path of the second. An arrow into the skull of the first polished it off, but the second dived beneath the sand just as an arrow embedded itself in the sand where it had been not a second earlier.

He watched Zelda tilt her head, listening intently. She jumped a second before the sand beneath her feet gave way, leaping into the air and letting her magic blow her higher as she fired an arrow straight down. It flew down the gullet of the monster, and it gurgled horribly in its death throes as Zelda landed lightly beside it and fired another arrow to put it out of its misery.

Ganondorf swallowed hard, fists clenched on his reins as he stared. That was… quite a bit more arousing than he’d anticipated. Amongst Gerudo society, those women celebrated as their finest warriors were looked upon as most attractive, and now that Zelda could fight, and he’d witnessed it… well. She was suddenly looking more alluring than usual, even with sand and blood splattered over her clothes.

Zelda grinned ecstatically as she sent away her bow, a little skip in her step as she ran towards her husband.

“Did you see that!?” She chirped excitedly. “I did it!”

Ganondorf chuckled and leaned down, holding out a hand for her to take. “Well done.”

His tone was a little strained, his expression peculiar. Zelda was about to ask what was wrong when he pulled her into his lap, not across his thighs as she’d been expecting, but straddling them instead. She felt her cheeks flush when she registered his hardness nestled against the junction of her thighs, and cocked a brow at him.

“Really?”

Ganondorf chuckled slightly and leaned down to nip at her ear. “What can I say? I am attracted to women who can fight.”

She raised her brow higher, her hands gripping his shoulders as she very subtly twisted her hips against him. Ganondorf’s eyes darkened and then he grabbed her waist, lifting her enough that he could get at the lacing of his trousers.

Zelda gasped. “Ganondorf! You can’t be serious.”

He chuckled and kissed her briefly. “Perfectly so.”

“We’re on a _horse_.” She hissed, trying to swat away as his fingers as they delved between her thighs. “Ganon _– hey!”_

A ripping sound echoed between them as Ganondorf tore a hole in the crotch of her trousers, looking very pleased with himself as he slid past her thatch of tangled curls, finding her most intimate space and beginning to stroke.

Zelda bit her lip and looked over her shoulder. “What if someone sees?” She whispered, swallowing hard as her arousal began to grow.

“We aren’t near any settlements. No one will.” Ganondorf purred, leaning down to take her lips.

“Ridiculous man – _oh!”_ Zelda gasped against his mouth, and he chuckled then twisted his fingers inside her again, making her moan. His tongue tangled with hers briefly and then Ganondorf ducked under her jaw, suckling her pulse point lightly until she moaned, whereupon he lifted her up and settled her over his shaft.

Zelda sighed in pleasure as he filled her, then gasped, her eyes flying open as the motion of Ganondorf’s horse walking forwards rocked his hips into hers, effectively doing all the work for him.

“Mmph.” She clutched at Ganondorf’s chest, her eyes drifting shut as the rocking motion forced him ever deeper inside her. Determined to get back at him for deciding to make love on a _horse_ of all places, Zelda began to rhythmically tighten her inner muscles, milking him until he groaned into her hair, his fingers clenching on her hip.

“Temptress.” He murmured, nipping the point of her ear, and Zelda grinned into his chest, cheered by her success. Her smile soon slipped, however, as his hand slid back between her legs, widening the hole in her trousers and finding her clit. She gritted her teeth, tipping her head back as the sensations began to overwhelm her. Her release was a quiet thing when it finally came, rolling over her and making her gasp as she clutched at him. Ganondorf groaned against her ear as her inner muscles worked him from her climax, and then he found his release within hers.

Now feeling very slow and languid, Zelda eased up off his shaft and turned herself so she was seated across his thighs instead, making a face at the hole in her trousers.

“What if the hole is visible when I’m standing?” She demanded, trying to reshape the torn material. “Ganondorf, you are impossible. Honestly.” Zelda shook her head, fiddling around with her pants for a moment longer. “And where is my horse? I’d have asked earlier, if you hadn’t distracted me.”

Ganondorf chucked as he finished relacing his trousers, then pointed. “He’s over there. Didn’t you notice we were riding towards him?”

Zelda stuck her nose in the air after twisting around to see that they were in fact riding towards her gelding, who was watching from up on a dune, ears pricked. “My attention was otherwise occupied, if you must know.”

A grin stretched his lips. “I know.”

They reached her horse after a few minutes, and Zelda slid from Ganondorf’s lap and awkwardly mounted her gelding, trying not to rip her trousers further.

It made for a very uncomfortable ride back to the fortress, having a gaping hole in her crotch so her bare skin rubbed and chafed against the leather of her saddle. Zelda was standing in her stirrups by the time they reached the fortress, her smile more like a grimace.

To make matters even worse, the second they arrived back at the stables they were inundated with Gerudo clamouring to know if the trip had been a success.

“How many did you kill?” asked Jaroobi excitedly as Zelda sat perched atop her horse, unwilling to get down and accidentally flash her privates to the world.

“Six.” She replied, to which the Gerudo congratulated her heartily.

“Aren’t you going to get down, Zelda?” Asked Ganondorf innocently. She shot him the most murderous death glare she could muster and very gingerly slid from the saddle, trying to hide the rip.

It didn’t work.

“How’d you rip your trousers like _that?”_ Asked Amila, brows raised.

Zelda took a second to frown at Ganondorf again before she made up an excuse on the spot.

“It was the leevers.” She lied through her teeth. “One of them startled me and I fell.” Ganondorf chuckled to himself and she glared at him.

“Must have been quite a tumble to rip like that.” Said Jaroobi. “Come, you’d best get another pair.”

“I think that would be best.” Zelda said stiffly, pointedly turning away from Ganondorf as he snickered to himself.

 

* * *

 

When Ganondorf returned to his quarters that night, he found a grumpy Zelda sitting on the floor while Sorousi capered around her, playing with a little model bird.

“ _Babuk, Babuk_!” 

 _“Malazi, yi.”_ He said, scooping up the child. “What are you up to?”

 _“Wazo!”_ Sorousi chirped, holding up her bird.

Ganondorf chuckled. “It is a nice bird. How’re you feeling, Zelda?”

She merely frowned.

“Zelda.” Ganondorf sat down beside her, then pulled her into his lap before she could protest. “You’re not still angry about me ripping your trousers, are you?”

Zelda rolled her eyes. “No, but I’m irritated you made me ride back with them ripped. It chafed, and it _hurts_.” She complained.

His brows drew together in sympathy. “You’ve managed to chafe your _séli kast?”_

Zelda’s cheeks flushed red. “Excuse me?” She whispered furiously. “Pink valley? Out of all the euphuisms in the whole wide world, you go with _pink valley?”_

Ganondorf chuckled. “It’s a valid term. You’re pink all over, after all.”

Zelda made a face at him, then turned her attention to Sorousi as the toddler tried to climb into her lap.

“And where do you think you’re going, little munchkin?” Zelda asked the toddler in Hylian, which Ganondorf made a face at. She insisted on speaking Hylian to the child, so she was bilingual… Ganondorf wasn’t too fussed about the idea. At least Sorousi spoke Gerudo far more than she spoke Hylian, even if she did use the Hylian word for ‘mama’. Though to be fair, she did use _Babuk_ , the Gerudo word for Papa.

“Up! I want up!” Sorousi demanded.

“Okay.” Zelda cooed, scooping the toddler into her lap. “Come here.”

Ganondorf brushed Sorousi’s curls back and grinned at the child. “Guess what, Rousi?”

“Wha?” The little girl looked up at him quizzically from around a mouthful of her own fingers.

“Your Mama fought monsters today.”

He grinned as Sorousi’s eyes widened. “Mosters!”

 _“Monsters.”_ He said solemnly.

Zelda sighed exasperatedly. “You make it sound very dramatic.”

“That’s because you killed them very dramatically.” He countered.

She didn’t reply, but he could see her grinning.

“It _was_ very dramatic, wasn’t it?” Zelda’s tone was excited now. “What else do you think I can do?”

Ganondorf chuckled; he’d had a hunch she’d react like this. Once she’d had time to realise what she’d done, realise the extent of what she could do… she’d had a taste, and now she wanted more. He’d known she would; power was intoxicating.

“A great many things, I’m sure. You can come out with us on patrols whenever you like.” He said, combing his fingers through her hair. “Try your hand against a Geldarm.”

Zelda twisted around to look at him and made a face. “No thanks.”

Ganondorf chuckled as she spoke again. “Come on, let me up. It’s time to eat.”

Later that night, with Sorousi out for the count in her cot downstairs and Zelda asleep in his arms, Ganondorf grinned at the ceiling as he drifted off to sleep, feeling perfectly content with the world.

 

* * *

 

 

Harkinian eyed the merchant before him with something close to apathy. While he did devote his Tuesdays to receiving various members of the public and hearing out their woes and requests, today had been especially dragging – mainly because Terrick, his new heir, was off hunting the stag rather than learning to rule. Harkinian was most displeased, and when the young man returned, he was going to get an earful.

As it was, he wasn’t even close to finished with his subjects, so Harkinian sighed lightly and motioned for the man to speak.

The man, a merchant dressed in purple robes to signify that he was fairly wealthy, swept his hat off his head and bowed.

“Your Majesty.”

“Your name?” Inquired Harkinian.

“Tobias Vern, Sire. I own a trading post on the outskirts of Lanayru.”

“And why have you come to seek audience with me, sir?”

Vern hesitated, twisting the brim of his hat. “It – it regards the princess, Sire.”

 _Princess…? Surely he doesn’t mean Zelda._ Harkinian sat forwards, a frown on his face. “The Princess? As in my daughter Zelda?”

“Yes Sire.” Vern hesitated again. “Sire, may I if you still know her to be deceased?”

There was an awful feeling brewing in his gut. “She’s dead. She’s been dead nearly two years.”

Vern nodded. “Ah. Well, Sire, you should know that I am in possession of evidence that would suggest the opposite.”

“You know her to be alive?” Harkinian sat forwards. “If you know of my daughter’s whereabouts, tell me so _at once_.”

Vern nodded hastily. “Yes Sire. That is, I don’t know her exact whereabouts, nor have I seen her – but I’m getting ahead of myself. I ought to explain better.”

Harkinian sat tensely as he waited for Vern to compose his thoughts.

“I operate a trading post, as I said, on the outskirts of Lanayru, Sire. As such, I often trade with the Gerudo. Last week, a group of women came to purchase food stuffs, and I happened to have some artists paint and brushes for sale. Now, owing to the fact I’ve been trading with the Gerudo some twenty years at least, and they seldom speak Hylian, I’ve cobbled together something of an understanding of their language. Now, one of them talked the others into purchasing some of the paint, which I thought odd, since they never buy things like that. Once the transaction was complete, however, I was headed to my storeroom to replenish my display of rice, seeing as the Gerudo ladies had cleared me out, when I heard them talking. I’ve no doubt they’d not have spoken did they know I was within earshot, but… they were talking about the paint, about how Zelda would enjoy it. I thought it very peculiar, seeing as the princess had so very tragically died in the desert, and yet… Zelda is not a Gerudo name.” Vern took a deep breath at the end of his speech. “It mightn’t be anything, Majesty, but still… if there is a chance the princess is alive, I thought you ought to know about it as soon as possible.”

Harkinian was silent for a long moment. “Its true Zelda is not a Gerudo name.” He mused, standing up. “But what are they playing at? If she’s not dead… why tell me she is?”

 _Dragmire_.

The Demon King surely had some plot up his sleeve. Harkinian ground his teeth. Evidently, he’d been a fool to trust the man’s hatred of Wisdom… perhaps Zelda had managed to calm his rage with her feminine wiles. Who knew? But if she was alive… she was still heir, and that would never do.

Harkinian nodded at Vern. “I greatly appreciate your coming all this way to deliver this news, sir. I thank you for your trouble.” He said, then turned to his steward. “Vern will be a guest in the castle tonight. Find somewhere suitable, as well as some monetary reward.”

The steward bowed, then turned to the delighted looking merchant. “This way, if you please, sir.”

Harkinian stepped from the dais as the Captain of the Guards stepped forwards. “Will we be mounting an expedition to the desert, Sire?” He asked, and Harkinian deliberated.

“Not yet. It might be a false alarm, and if she is dead, then us going in there without an invitation might be seen as a declaration of war. The Demon King can be jumpy you know. No, first I need to uncover if Zelda is or _isn’t_ alive.”

He shot a look at Alozo, who nodded briefly and held open the door for him. The two men were silent until the reached the King’s private study, whereupon Harkinian gave in to his fury.

 _“HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?”_ He bawled, striking several sheets of paper off his desk to the floor.

“I believe it would be best to work out an exact timeline, your Majesty.” Alozo said smoothly, moving to take a blank piece of paper and start scribbling. “It might make things clearer, if the Gerudo are lying about her. Now. They were married on the eleventh of the fifth…, which makes it two and a half years ago. Princess Zelda was reported to have been fatally bitten by a serpent on the fourth of the eleventh… five months later. So the Gerudo have had her shut away for roughly two years now. But to what purpose?”

“What if she’s not shut away?” Interjected Harkinian. “If they were buying paint for her… that’s not the action one takes with a prisoner.”  
  
“Very true, Majesty.” Said Alozo thoughtfully. “In that case… the only thing to be done is to venture to the desert and see if she is or she isn’t.”

Harkinian nodded. “You go. Take what you need, use your Sheikah magic to find out if she’s dead or alive, and for _Din’s sake_ don’t get caught.”

Alozo smiled a snakelike smile. There was nothing more he liked more than sneaking around and spying. “It would be my pleasure, your Majesty.”

He bowed, then green light wrapped around his form and he faded from view. Harkinian sighed and poured himself a stiff drink before sinking into his chair. It was going to be a long day.

 

* * *

 

It was nearly a week later before Harkinian heard any news. He was in his bedchamber, nodding off before the fire over a cup of tea, when a burst of green light startled him right out of his skin.

 _“Shit!”_ Harkinian swore as his tea went everywhere, and Alozo grabbed a handkerchief and passed it to him.

“Apologies, your Majesty. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He said smoothly. “But I have news.”

Harkinian looked up in the middle of dabbing tea from his nightclothes and arched a brow. “And? Is Zelda dead?”

“She’s alive, Sire.”

Harkinian swore viciously. “What! How? _Why_ in Farore’s name did Dragmire leave her alive?”

“I believe I can tell you the answer to that, Sire.” Said Alozo, stepping forwards. “It’s because she has given him a child.”

Harkinian froze. “A _child?”_ He croaked.

The Sheikah spy nodded. “A little girl. If you recall that timeline we worked out, Sire? It was five months into their marriage that she ‘died’.” The spy made air quotes with his fingers. “She must have found out she was a month or two along, and told him before he killed her.”

“But why not kill her anyway?” Harkinian blustered.

“Well… I’ve given some thought to it, and… the Gerudo are a very maternal race, Sire.” Alozo said, nodding thoughtfully to himself. “It’s possible that once he found out she carried his child, Dragmire scrapped the plan in favour of her carrying to term. They don’t like to risk their children out there, and to willingly abort a child or harm a healthy expectant mother can be grounds for severe punishment.”

“Then why the _hell_ -” Harkinian said very precisely. “-didn’t we make sure she was incapable of conceiving _before_ he mounted her?”

Alozo shrugged uncomfortably. “That would have been the wiser plan, I admit.”

Harkinian swore again. “I can’t _believe_ we didn’t consider the possibility of a pregnancy.”

“I suppose we assumed Dragmire’s dislike of her would overpower it, Majesty, or that she’d die before she began to show.”

“How old is the child? It must be two at least.”

“I believe so, Sire. She can walk and sort of talk.”

“I suppose the little desert rat looks like her father?”

“She’s redheaded and has dark skin, but she’s got Hylian ears and features. She won’t have a Gerudo nose.”

“That’s something, at least. Maybe the little half-breed won’t be _that_ hideous to look at. I presume it has a name?”

“Sorousi, your Majesty.”

 _“Sorousi.”_ Harkinian tried the word out on his tongue. “At least she didn’t give the little sand rat a Hylian name, like it’d be worthy of such a thing. You’ve been gone a while. What did you do there?”

 “After I found out the princess was alive, I staked out and watched them for a few days. I must say, the Demon King’s smarter than he looks. He nearly caught me a few times, but Sheikah magic evades all. I was merely getting an idea of their relationships, and…” Alozo paused.

 _“What?”_ Harkinian snapped.

“Dragmire and the princess are very… _familiar_ , Sire. They share a bed-”

_“Still?”_

“-and are very affectionate towards each other in private.”

 _“Affectionate?”_ Gasped Harkinian. “Affectionate how?”

Alozo leered. “They are _intimate_ with each other. Frequently.”

Harkinian scowled. “It’s worse than I thought.” He frowned intensely. How in the world had Zelda managed to wrap the _Demon King_ , of all people, round her little finger? It made no sense.

“If I may point out the obvious, your Majesty.” Began Alozo.

“Yes?” Harkinian answered tersely.

“Princess Zelda is still alive, which by law and by blood makes her heir apparent over Prince Terrick. Now that she has a child, that doubly cements her line of succession... not to mention, the Demon King might decide he has rights to the Hylian throne through his wife and daughter.”

Harkinian nodded. “I was wrong. _Now_ it’s worse than I thought.”

He got out of his chair and started pacing.

“What will we do, Sire?” Asked Alozo.

“The only thing we can do.” He answered slowly. “Bring me the child.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the cliffhanger lmao, but things are just getting interesting ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	15. Stolen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf loses his daughter, but never imagines he'd lose his wife too.

Ganondorf didn’t know how much sleep he’d had when a sudden shove to his chest made him half awaken.

“Wha?”

Realising Zelda was struggling to get out of his arms, he sat up, nearly awake. “Zelda? What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

She was panting with her panic, and cold fear gripped his heart when she turned and said the one word he wished she hadn’t.

“ _Sorousi.”_

Zelda was gone then, off the bed and scrabbling to her feet to run downstairs. Ganondorf swore viciously and followed hot on her heels, half a step behind her as she came to a sudden stop before Sorousi’s cot, gripping the rail with her hands. He looked over her shoulder to see their child sleeping peacefully, and then Zelda spoke.

“I – I don’t understand.” She whispered. “I saw it – she was gone, I-” Zelda pressed her hand to her mouth, and he tugged her into his embrace.

“A dream?” He murmured, and she shook her head.

“A vision. I can tell the difference, though I haven’t had one in so long…” Zelda was quiet for a moment, then moved out of his arms to lean down and touch Sorousi’s forehead, as if to reassure herself that her daughter was really there. “Someone took her.” She continued quietly. “A man. A premonition like that… it’s a warning. Someone’s going to take her.”

Anger and protectiveness flowed through him. “Now?” He growled. “They can _try_.” He leaned in and picked Sorousi up, cradling her in his arms as she slept. The toddler scrunched up her nose at the disturbance, then settled back down into sleep.

Zelda furrowed her brow, obviously deep in thought. “No, not now. At least, I don’t think so.” She turned to look up at him, fear clear in her eyes. “At some point in the future. I can clearly see a man leaning over the cot and taking her out, and warping away…” She considered things. “A man who knows magic… and also knows about Sorousi… the only one who fits that description is _you_.”

“Why would I…?” He began, but Zelda shook her head.

“It wasn’t you. Too small by half… and with very pale blonde hair. A Hylian.”

“How would they know?” He growled, peering around at the darkness.

“I don’t know. I’ve not been in contact with anyone from Hyrule since I’ve been here.” Zelda looked even more concerned now. “You enchanted her cot though. How strong are the enchantments? Would they stop a person, or just animals?”

When Sorousi was born, Ganondorf had enchanted her cot with every protective spell he could think of to protect her from wayward serpents and small monsters while they all slept – all the mothers in the fortress used some form of enchantment to protect their young. But Zelda was right – it was designed mainly for keeping out unwanted guests that were distinctly animal in flavour.

“I have, but tomorrow I’ll add more.” He said firmly. “Enough to keep _anyone_ out.”

“Good.” Zelda murmured, brushing her fingers over Sorousi’s cheek. She yawned then, and Ganondorf slung his free arm around her waist.

“Come on.” He said quietly. “Lets go back to bed. Sorousi can sleep with us tonight.”  
  
Zelda nodded. “All right.”

With Zelda and Sorousi back in bed, Ganondorf took the opportunity to cast as many protective enchantments as he could think of, and then he laid down beside his wife, with his daughter in the middle and still peacefully asleep. Zelda stared worriedly across at him, and he leaned over to touch her cheek.

“Don’t worry.” He murmured. “No one will touch her.”

“If I’ve had a vision of it,” She whispered back. “It’s certain to happen. There will be no deviation of the outcome; only in the details.”

That did not make him feel better.

“Try to sleep.” He said quietly, brushing her hair back. “We’ll be able to make more sense of it in the morning.”

Zelda nodded, took Sorousi’s hand in hers and closed her eyes, though he could tell she was too shaken up to sleep right away.

Ganondorf also had trouble falling asleep; he stared at the ceiling for hours, constantly checking to make sure Sorousi was still there… he knew from past experience the accuracy of Zelda’s visions… but he refused to let anything happen to his little girl.

 

* * *

 

The visions kept coming.

Zelda was a wreck from nerves, for as the days passed (four from the day of her first vision, to be precise) the visions increased. Now she was having one roughly every hour, and it was hell, for it never changed, just constantly, unerringly showed her child being taken away.

She now point blank refused to let Sorousi out of her sight for a moment, a sentiment Ganondorf echoed. He was _furious_ at her visions, absolutely seething with rage at the idea someone would try to abduct their child.

Most of the Gerudo know knew about the visions too, and were similarly concerned.

Zelda was just in a state of constant panic, for when having a vision she couldn’t see what was right in front of her, which made her panic even harder that in the few minutes she was locked inside the vision, Sorousi might have wandered off, or worse, that the person who she kept seeing would take advantage of her blindness to _really_ take her. She was a mess. Still, she could only be believed that whoever the Hylian was, he hadn’t taken Sorousi yet.

Until he did.

It was very early in the morning, perhaps around two or three, that Zelda awoke, shuddering out of yet another vision. She was exhausted by now, for the visions woke her every time, and that meant she’d not properly slept in roughly a week. It was for this reason that she lay there for a few long moments, scowling into the darkness as she got over the initial shock of the vision, and then rolled over to check and make sure Sorousi was there. She put out her hand and came in contact with her daughter’s curls as she slept peacefully, and Zelda smiled in relief and lay back down to fall asleep again.

  
At least, that’s what she expected to happen.

Her hand met cool silk sheets, and that was it. Zelda’s brows contracted as she felt around for a moment and came up with nothing, and then the realisation got past her exhaustion and she shot upright, opening her eyes and glancing desperately around – Sorousi wasn’t in bed with them.

“Oh Gods no.” Zelda moaned in fear, and then she practically fell atop Ganondorf in her hurry to shake him awake.

“Ganondorf!” She nearly yelled, shaking his arm violently.

“Wha-? Zelda?” He mumbled, still plainly half asleep.

“Sorousi’s gone!” She choked out, and Ganondorf froze, before he launched himself out of bed and swore so viciously it burned her ears.

“You’re sure she just hasn’t gotten out of bed?”

“Oh _Nayru_ I hope so.” Zelda scrambled off the bed and went straight to a candle. Having lit it, she held it high in the air, scanning the room. “Sorousi? Sorousi sweetie, are you there?”

Ganondorf lit more candles and joined in the search, and when they had scoured their quarters from top to bottom and checked the street outside and come up with nothing, they went back inside briefly while trying to work out what to do. Ganondorf was pacing, glaring and swearing, and Zelda was crying silently as she sank down onto the floor. He came and knelt in front of her, gripping her shoulders tightly.

“I’ll find her.” He said grimly. “If it’s the last thing I do.”

Zelda nodded and wiped her eyes. “I know.” She got out, then broke down again.

“Listen, Zelda.” He said seriously. “What woke you up?”

“I had another vision.” She managed weakly, then cleared her throat and tried again. “I – I woke up from it and went to check Sorousi like I always do. She – she wasn’t there.”

“And the vision was the same as always?” His voice was urgent now.

Zelda blinked and concentrated on what she’d seen. “Um… yes, I think so. Well… after the first night of sleeping with us, it changed to the man leaning over me instead of taking her out of her cot. But you knew that already… it was the same as usual. It’s like I’m standing there behind him watching it, but I can see myself in bed as well.” She sniffled hard then. “If – if I’d just woken up earlier, maybe-”

Ganondorf pulled her into his arms then. “It’s not your fault.” He murmured, and Zelda buried her face in his chest. “They must be _extremely_ skilled in the magical arts to get by my enchantments. I’d been sure that they wouldn’t.” Ganondorf sounded furious now. “The bastard.”

“What do we do?” She whispered brokenly, and felt him shrug beneath the shaking fury. Instinctively, Zelda knew he was holding on tightly to his rage, refusing to let it consume him while in front of her.

“I – I’m not sure.” He said finally. “You’re sure you don’t know who the man is?”

“He’s familiar to me.” She said, thinking hard. “I _know_ him, I’m sure of it. I just can’t… I can conjure up his face.”

“Try to think of him.” Ganondorf said, stroking her hair. “Try and remember who he is.”

She nodded and clutched at his bare chest. “But why would he take Sorousi? What does he want with her? How does a Hylian man even know she exists?”

Ganondorf cursed under his breath. “I don’t know.” He growled. “But I intend to find out.”

Sometime later, Zelda was sitting with a group of other Gerudo. Ganondorf had gone and woken up Jaroobi and several other important leaders within the community, and now, just as dawn was breaking they were sitting in the street outside Ganondorf’s quarters, Zelda was sitting with a blanket wrapped round her shoulders and a strong cup of tea in her hands while the Gerudo surrounding her tried to comfort her as she silently cried.

Ganondorf was not too far away, surrounded by his sisters as he gesticulated wildly. He was utterly furious, his expression black as magic curled and dripped from his form, sparking onto the ground, but with no idea who’d taken Sorousi, and no evidence left behind, there was nothing to be done but regret. Zelda concentrated on her vision, trying to figure out who the man who’d taken her daughter was, because without his identity, how did they even begin to get her back?

 

* * *

 

He hadn’t seen his daughter in a week.

Ganondorf swore under his breath as he glanced over to where Zelda was sitting – he was speaking to Jaroobi and Ilorun, amongst others, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see Zelda sitting and staring despondently as a few little girls played in the distance. She was beating herself up over the fact that she hadn’t yet figured out who the Hylian man in her visions was, and though he knew it wasn’t her fault, he couldn’t help but feel a bit aggravated with her. If she could only figure it out, they could be on their way to Sorousi right now.

_Poor little girl. She must be terrified._

_If she’s still alive._

His breath hissed between his teeth, and Ganondorf shifted his focus back to the conversation, trying to take his mind off things. His body fairly burned with the need to go and smash a few skulls in as he retrieved his daughter, but he didn’t know who’d taken her. The thought almost killed him.

“So, the new guard rotations?” Asked Tira tentatively, prompting him out of his reverie.

“Yes, they’re fine.” He muttered distractedly.

“Maybe you ought to go.” Said Jaroobi, the look in her eyes sympathetic. “Your mind is elsewhere, not that I blame you.”

He frowned. “I’m – fine, I just-”

“Is that a messenger hawk?” Interrupted Ilorun, and they all turned to stare.

“It is.” Ganondorf noted, then frowned at the distinctive gold of the letter tube affixed to the leg of the hawk. “Is it… a Hylian hawk?”

The hawk swooped over their heads to land before Zelda, which confused everyone. Ganondorf started towards her, only to stop when the hawk assumed a defensive position.

“Zelda?”

Zelda glared at the hawk. “Stop it, Vericus.” She said clearly in Hylian, and the bird turned back to her.

Ganondorf and the other Gerudo looked confused.

“ _Vericus?”_ Ganondorf repeated slowly. “You know this bird?”

“He belongs to my father. He’s his prize hawk, his favourite bird.”

His brows drew together as Zelda stared at the bird, and Vericus offered her his leg.

Zelda slowly detached the letter and began to unroll it. There was a letter, and then a small sealed pouch. “It’s… addressed to me.” She said slowly, then frowned up at Ganondorf. “How is it addressed to me?”

She absently stroked Vericus’ feathers as she broke the seal of the letter.

“What does it say?” Demanded Ganondorf.

Zelda cleared her throat and began to read out loud.

“Zelda, It has come to my attention that you are, in fact, alive. I don’t know for what reason this falsehood regarding your death has been circulated, but rest assured, I will do all I can to correct it.”

Zelda looked up in alarm. “ _Correct_ it?”

The set of Ganondorf’s mouth was grim. “Is that all it says?”

“No – hang on.” She turned back to the letter. “Okay-”

“I’ve been informed you – you…” She couldn’t get the words out for a long moment. “-have a daughter.” She whispered.

Ganondorf took a few steps forward. _“What?_ How does he know?”

Zelda kept reading. “I have taken it upon myself, to – to meet her.”

Ganondorf’s face looked like it had been carved from stone.

“That’s it.” She whispered. “He’s signed off there.” She reached for the pouch that had come with the letter, ignoring the Gerudo surrounding her, trying to ignore the sickening fear swamping her stomach.

Ganondorf was so angry he could barely move. Harkinian had his daughter? _Harkinian!?_

He watched Zelda open the pouch, and then stared in shock as her legs gave out and she crumpled.

“What – _Zelda?”_ He hurriedly knelt beside her, then pulled back in shock as she held up a clump of bloodied scarlet curls. Ganondorf took the hair from her grasp and stared at it – it was Sorousi’s hair, he was sure of it. Where else would Harkinian have gotten curly red hair from? And the _blood_. He took a deep breath to compose himself, fury boiling in his veins at the realisation that the Hylian King had harmed his child.

He was so utterly furious it took him a lot longer to react than it normally would as Zelda upended the pouch and a small medallion came out to rest in her palm. The moment it hit her skin, there was a blinding flash and a portal appeared beyond the group.

He shot to his feet and Zelda did too, though her face was bloodless and shocked, and they all stared at the portal warily, some unsheathing their weapons and moving away from the portal as they waited for something to emerge.

Nothing did.

“What – what is it?” Called someone, and then they all broke into wary conversation.

And then Zelda began to move.

It was subtle enough that he barely noticed at first, but then he heard her make a panicked noise, and she began sliding towards the portal, her feet slipping over the sand as she spun around and tried to go back the other way.

He swore then reached out and just grabbed the tips of her fingers as the portal pulled her off her feet. The suction was strong – it was practically ripping Zelda out of his arms and yet _he_ felt no pull, and no one else did either. Shouting had erupted all around then as more and more hands grabbed hold of Zelda, holding tightly onto her, but the whole group was gradually sliding with her. Abruptly, the portal increased in size, and then Ganondorf could only meet Zelda’s panicked gaze as she was sucked out of their grasp and through the portal, her bloodcurdling scream instantly cutting off as the portal vanished.

He swore viciously as he spun on the spot, scooping up the letter and Sorousi’s hair, then glared at the medallion. Ganondorf bent down and touched it, wondering if it’d open a portal, which would be good because it would take him to Zelda – nothing happened. He swore again, picked up the medallion, then gave into his anger, hurling the small round token as hard as he possibly could into the distance. His sisters melted backwards, clearing a space for him as he stormed off, the letter clenched tightly in his hands, so utterly furious his teeth hurt from clenching them and his fingers were shaking.

First his child… now his wife. Harkinian was going to _pay_.

He nearly ripped the curtain down as he walked into the door, and then he carefully put Sorousi’s hair down on the counter. It was painful to look at her lovely curls matted with blood, so he turned his attention to the letter instead, reading through the words furiously.

_Zelda,_

_It has come to my attention that you are, in fact, alive._

_I don’t know for what reason this falsehood regarding your death has been circulated, but rest assured, I will do all I can to correct it. I’ve been informed that you have birthed a child – a daughter. I have taken it upon myself, seeing as you did not inform me I had a grandchild, to meet her._

_Harkinian, King of Hyrule._

Ganondorf read the words again and again, trying to figure out how Harkinian had done this.

And then it hit him like a lightening bolt.

A tall, thin Hylian with very pale blonde hair? So pale… it could be called white. One who could use magic, and was trusted by the King?

The _Sheikah_.

Alozo.

Ganondorf ground his teeth, picturing the moment he ripped the Sheikah’s heart out of his chest. He would enjoy that moment a great deal, the black shadow curling from his form born of utter fury.

At that moment, Jaroobi and a few others appeared in the doorway.

“We can be ready to go by morning if you give the order.” She said flatly. “We’ve already been planning an invasion – the Hylian King has just escalated the timing.”

“That he has.” He growled. “But no. I’m going alone as soon as possible - the rest of you can follow along later.”

She frowned. “Are you sure that’s wise? I doubt they’d have taken both Zelda _and_ Rousi without expecting _some_ form of retaliation. They must have some sort of plan.” Beyond her, he could see a group of his closest warriors listening hard – Ganondorf nodded slowly, for they clearly agreed with her. He forced his anger down so he could think straight.

“Very well. But – it’ll take too long to get there if we move the entire army on horseback. Zelda and Rousi could be dead now, never mind in three weeks.” Ganondorf squared his shoulders as the answer came to him. “ _Portals_. I’ll open one for myself and the rest of you can follow along later.”

“With all due respect, I think that’s a terrible idea.” Jaroobi said bluntly, and he raised a menacing brow at her.

“Oh? Then what do you suggest?”

“The same, but different.” Jaroobi grinned. “Let the army take up the rear, like you said, but instead of going in alone, take us-” She motioned to the thirty or so battle hardened women behind her. “-with you. We can run interference, take some of the pressure off your back.”

He nodded slowly. “Fine. Be ready to leave in half an hour – tell the army to be ready by night’s end. I want them gone by daybreak.”

Jaroobi nodded, a grim set to her mouth, and disappeared to bark orders. Ganondorf took a few moments alone to reread the letter, anger bubbling in his gut. He turned and went upstairs to don his armour, spending a few minutes sharpening his various blades, before he caught sight of Sorousi’s favourite little rag doll sitting on his bed, where Zelda had left it; after Rousi had been abducted, she’d taken to bringing it into bed with them at night. His heart felt heavy at the sight, and then he whirled and punched the wall as hard as his could, the shriek of steel talons on stone grating at his ears. Ganondorf slowly withdrew his hand, relishing the slight ache in his knuckles as fragments of stone crumbled to the floor, and then he gritted his teeth against the fury that burned through him. He pictured Sorousi’s smiling little face and wondered how scared she was. His thoughts drifted back to the bloody chunk of her hair and he swore again. If it was her blood… it had to be her blood. Whose else would it be? They’d _hurt_ his baby. Harkinian had taken his little girl… and now he’d taken Zelda.

Turning to stride back downstairs, Ganondorf paused as the candlelight caught Zelda’s glittering sapphire pendant – the symbol of her status amongst his people. She hadn’t been wearing it when she’d been taken, it seemed. He stuffed the pendant into his pocket along with the letter and Rousi’s doll – if worst came to worst, well. He wanted a reminder of her, of both of them. Just in case… _no. She’s alive. They both are._

_They have to be._


	16. Taking the Throne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda takes her destiny into her own hands~

Zelda screamed as she hit the ground, the portal over her head disappearing in a flash of light as she bounced off the hard stone and rolled, coming to rest in some mouldy straw.

She groaned and lay there for a few seconds, stunned. She rolled onto her back and blinked at the ceiling, then registered that there was in fact a ceiling above her. A dirty stone ceiling, one that was quite familiar to her. Sitting up with a sigh of pain, she looked around and confirmed her suspicions – she was in Hyrule Castle. Specifically – the dungeons.

“Oh Gods.” She whispered, panic in her tone. She couldn’t be _here_.

“Princess?”

That distracted her slightly. She looked up to see a young Hylian soldier staring at her. She painfully got to her feet and glared at him.

“Who are you?” She demanded. “Why have you brought me here?”

The young man paled and clutched his spear tightly. “I didn’t!” He stiffened then. “That is, I was placed on duty here by his Majesty. I’m to let him know that you’ve arrived.” He nodded importantly, then realisation crept over his features. “Oh! You’ve arrived. I have to go and let his Majesty know.”

Without another word, the young man scooted away, leaving Zelda staring incredulously after him. Well, okay. She shook her head and began examining the cell she was in. After a while, she was reasonably confident that she could use her magic to break the lock, but demurred. That letter had said her father had Sorousi. If he was going to come down here, she could ask him straight out where her child was. If he told her? Excellent. Once he left, she could break out and track down her baby. If he didn’t? Well, she’d be looking for Sorousi anyway – the first option just made things more convenient.

She took a deep breath to calm herself. Her confidence had blossomed during her two years in the desert, but now, being back here and faced with seeing her father again was making her feel ill. She wanted to be brave… she had to be brave if she was going to find Sorousi.

After a while, the young guard came back, his skin flushed with pleasure from having spoken _directly_ to the King.

“His Majesty is busy with his royal duties at the moment.” He reported. “I am to tell you he shall come down to see you at some time this afternoon.”

She scowled; her father was going to make her wait, because of course he was.

“Does it not strike you as odd he’s keeping me in the dungeons?” Zelda inquired, feeling genuinely curious. “I’m the Princess of Hyrule, his _daughter_. What has he told you?”

The young man regarded her suspiciously. “I was chosen especially by his Majesty. He said my _discretion_ would be perfect for his task.”

 _Great_. He wasn’t going to open his mouth.

“What’s your name?” She asked. “You know mine; it’s only fair to tell me yours.”

“Loyn Terrin.” He said proudly, lifting his chin. “Second-at-arms to his Majesty’s Guardsmen.”

Zelda raised a brow like she was impressed. “Second-at-arms? You don’t look so old… such a rank is impressive indeed.”

The young man puffed up his chest. “Thank you, Princess.”

She sat down in the straw and clasped her hands in front of her. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a drink of water, is there? Only I did just come from the desert…”

“Of course, Princess.”

He left and came back with a pitcher and cup, which he slid through the bars of her cell. Zelda pulled them closer and poured out some water, which she greatly enjoyed. She wasn’t lying – she was rather thirsty. As she sipped her water, she wondered if it was worth asking him about Sorousi… she eventually decided the worst he could do was not answer.

“So how did you make your rank at such a young age?” She inquired. “I’m curious – most second-at-arms I’ve known were in their thirties at least. You must be quite talented.” It was shameless flattery, but he preened and leaned forwards.

“Well, I’d like to say it was my hard work, Princess, but I’ll accept talented as well.”

She chuckled along politely. “Add that to this assignment, and you must be very trusted within your corp.”

“I am, Princess, and I pride myself on it.”

“Indeed – I know my father, and he’s never been one to take on any men who seemed in the slightest way morally deficient.”

Loyn beamed. “Thank you, Princess. That is a great compliment.”

“Why, I suppose you know the ins and outs of this place!”

“Oh, yes, Princess, I’m trusted to guard anywhere.”

“Even new arrivals? Goodness me.”

“Even new arrivals, and permanent guests too.” He said proudly, and she hid her grin.

“Including the little Gerudo girl?”

“Yes, including her, I-” Loyn stopped very suddenly and stared at her. “Princess?”

“The little Gerudo girl.” Zelda said. “Her name is Sorousi? She’s two years old.”

“You know of her?” He looked deeply uncomfortable. “I don’t think his Majesty would be comfortable with this line of conversation-”

“But I would.” Zelda interrupted. “Please, continue. Is she in the dungeons?”

“No.” Loyn looked suspicious. “Princess, why are you concerned for her?”

“Does it not strike you as quite peculiar that my father has acquired a Gerudo child?”

“Well… yes. But it is not my place to question his Majesty.”

“Of course not.” Zelda smiled at him. “But she’s in the castle? Unharmed?”

“I believe so.” Loyn said cautiously. “His Majesty keeps her in one of the guest suites. Princess, how do you know her?”

She smiled thinly at him. “She’s my daughter.” To make the conversation a little smoother, she continued. “It’s only fair for a mother to be concerned for her child’s whereabouts, even if that child is merely with her grandfather?”

Loyn’s eyes were very wide now. “Your _daughter?”_

“Yes.”

He looked around nervously. “I – I don’t think I should continue talking to you, Princess. I will wait to get clearance from his Majesty.”

“That’s perfectly all right.” Zelda said as sweetly as she could, then lapsed into silence.

Loyn didn’t speak for the rest of the day, and neither did she. True to what she’d expected, her father didn’t show up until she’d been there for roughly five hours, by Loyn’s pocket watch. Finally, however, she heard a door opening and closing in the distance.

Loyn shot up off his chair and Zelda climbed to her feet, straightening her clothes as she did so. After another long minute, her father came into view. Loyn bowed deeply and left the dungeon without another word, and Zelda’s hands shook. She honestly didn’t know if she trusted herself to speak. She almost curtsied, but restrained herself once she saw the look of loathing in her father’s eye. _I don’t need to be subservient to him anymore,_ she chanted inside her head, picturing Ganondorf to give herself encouragement. _He has no power over me now._

“Zelda.” He greeted her curtly.

“Father.” Zelda was proud of herself for getting the word out with a steady voice.

“I do hope I find you well-” He began, his tone rather mocking, and she interrupted him.

“Let’s not indulge in small talk. Where is my daughter?”

Harkinian’s eyes glinted, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Alozo lurking in the corner. Suddenly, realisation hit her like a bus. The tall, slender Hylian in her vision – Alozo was wearing the same coat. _He’d_ taken her baby. Anger wrapped around her heart, and she gritted her teeth.

“She’s fine. Let’s discuss _you_.” Harkinian said smoothly. “You know, of course, that I can’t let you live.”

“I do.” She replied cautiously. That seemed to be the best course of action – to _lie_.

“Good. I don’t know why, precisely, the Demon King left you alive, but I presume it’s because of the child. I take full responsibility; I ought to have ensured you were incapable of bearing children before you went to him.”

Her blood ran cold at that.

“But no matter.” He continued. “You see, _Wisdom_ is the bane of my existence.”

Zelda tilted her head as she listened, instinctively glancing down at that back of her hand where the Triforce was etched into her skin. Her father noticed.

“Yes, you look down at your Triforce, safe in the knowledge that the Goddesses guide you, that you _are_ a Goddess, and half the people here would kneel at your feet, even dressed in the clothes of a _slut_.”

Zelda frowned, her hands instinctively going to her bodice, trying to pull it down over her exposed midriff.

“When I took the throne-” Harkinian’s voice was contemplative. “-I swore on my crown I would be a just and fair ruler – but not just that. I promised I would be a King talked about for years to come. I married a beautiful and fair Calatian princess, and within a year our first child was to be born. My wife, sadly, lost that child at five months. It was a boy, my _true_ heir, and his death was a tragedy I mourn even today.”

Zelda listened with wide eyes. _I’m… not my mother’s first child? I had… a brother?_

“Within another year, she had conceived again, and _you_ were born.” A sneer adorned his upper lip. “The physicians swore up and down that when you arrived, the whole room glowed from your Triforce. The people celebrated, and my wife cried with the knowledge she’d carried and brought forth Wisdom into the world. I knew then that my legacy was in danger. How do I compete with the mortal form of a Goddess? Who is Wisdom? Who is guided by Nayru? You can’t. If anything was to be learned from the legends of the _perfect Princess Zelda_ is that you can’t. She can do no wrong.”

Harkinian turned to face her then, loathing written over his features. “I refuse to be upstaged by my own daughter.”

Suddenly, everything made sense, and she nodded calmly. “Which is why you treated me like you did. You wanted me docile and quiet so people would never compare us and hold me above you.”

“ _Exactly_.” He said.

Zelda lifted her chin. “So what now?”

“The public think you are dead. Tomorrow, that lie will become reality. The executioner will be here sometime after lunch… to visit you and your daughter.”

Her stomach dropped like a stone, and she moved forwards to grip the bar of the cell. “ _What?”_

Harkinian rolled his eyes. “She’s your _heir_ , foolish girl. More than that, the Demon King has claims to the throne through her. Of course she can’t be allowed to live. Once you’re both dead, life will continue on as usual. _My_ heir is now your cousin. A nice boy, a bit overly concerned with hunting, but certainly nothing special. _He_ won’t overshadow me.”

“You are _that_ vain…” She mumbled under her breath. She lifted her chin again. “If I’m to die tomorrow, will you let me see my baby?”

Harkinian’s snake-like smile only widened, though he didn’t say anything.

“Please.” She continued. “I can resign myself to my death; how can I not? I’ve no way to get out of here. Just… please let me see my little girl one last time.”

After standing there for another long minute, Harkinian turned to Alozo. “Bring the child.”

Alozo looked staggered. “Sire!” He said, sounding shocked. “Surely you aren’t considering-”

“Bring the child.” Harkinian interrupted, and Alozo looked displeased, but vanished in a flash of light.

When he returned, Zelda gripped the bars of the cell so hard her knuckles cracked, for in his arms was her daughter. Sorousi was twisting as far away from him as she could get, and had her little hands clamped firmly over her eyes as she sobbed slightly in her fear.

“Sorousi!” Zelda cried out, reaching through the bars. Sorousi turned around then, and then she started crying and struggling to get down, reaching out for her. Zelda’s heart broke at that as she desperately reached for her child.

“Mama! _Mama!”_

“Sorousi!”

“Put her down.” That was Harkinian, and though Alozo clearly disagreed, he obeyed. The second Sorousi’s feet touched the ground, she was running towards her, and Zelda was crying almost hysterically as her baby ran straight into her arms. The bars of the cell were too narrow for Sorousi to fit through, so Zelda was forced to hug her through the bars, brushing her hair back as she cried. Sorousi’s long curls were gone – cut off to be brought by messenger hawk, her hair was cropped short, her skin was grubby and in some places, clearly spotted with blood. Zelda hugged her daughter as tightly as possible, humming comforting words into her ear as Sorousi curled her fingers into her hair and cried. Gradually, Sorousi’s tears slowed, and she merely sniffled into Zelda’s shoulder as she rocked her comfortingly.

All too soon, Harkinian spoke. “Take her back.” He said cruelly, and Alozo moved forwards – his smile told her he was enjoying this.

“No!” Zelda gasped, clutching her baby tighter. “No! Please! _Please_ don’t!”

Alozo bent down and grabbed Sorousi under the armpits, and the little girl screamed in fear and clamped down on Zelda’s neck. Zelda wrapped her arms firmly around Sorousi’s waist, but Alozo pulled her up, back and straight out of her grip. Sorousi was screaming and crying and reaching out for her, and Zelda tried in vain to squeeze through the bars, tears pouring down her cheeks. Alozo vanished in a puff of light, taking her baby with him, and Zelda broke down completely, laying her forehead against the ground as she cried.

“You got your wish.” She could see Harkinian’s boots moving away from her, and she was hit with an intense wave of loathing. “I’ll see you tomorrow, _Zelda_. Enjoy your last night.”

With that, he left the room. Zelda pushed herself upright, slowly wiping the tears from her eyes as cold determination set in. Now that she knew her father intended to have her executed tomorrow, it was imperative that she get to Sorousi and get out of the castle. Her thoughts turned to Ganondorf. Where was he? Had he left the desert? Did he have any intention of coming to get them? She could reasonably see him delaying _her_ rescue, but surely he wouldn’t risk Sorousi?

She chewed her lip, deep in thought, and then the door opened and Loyn came in. He paused, looking a little uncomfortable when he saw she’d been crying, then sat on his chair and opened a book. Zelda scooted to the far corner of the cell, drew her knees up to her chest and began to think. She could get out of the cell, she was fairly sure, but what about Loyn? He could raise the alarm while she was unlocking the cell. No, she needed some way to get him out, or – _hmmm_.

Zelda eyed the pitcher of water and formulated a plan. She’d been thinking about her plan for half an hour now – hopefully, Alozo was no longer with Sorousi. As much as she hated the idea of her little girl being alone and scared, she couldn’t deny it wouldn’t be easier to get to her if the Sheikah had left. Zelda casually stood up, conscious of Loyn’s gaze on her form as she headed towards the pitcher, picked up the cup, and promptly accidentally on purpose knocked it over, spilling water across the floor of her cell.

“Oh _dear_.” She said, exaggerating the sound. Zelda picked up the pitcher and looked at her guard. “Could I have some more, please?”

He nodded graciously. “Of course, Princess.”

Loyn stood up and walked to the bars of her cell, and Zelda did the same. She carefully maneuvered the pitcher through the gap and then, just as Loyn went to take it from her, she called her magic and sent the jug careening straight into his skull. It made a satisfying _thwack_ , and Loyn’s eyes rolled back in his head as he crumpled, out cold. The pitcher clattered loudly on the ground and she cringed, but as no one came in, she quickly got to work using her magic to pick the lock, thanking her lucky stars Ganondorf had idly decided to teach her the skill.

Once the door to her cell was open, she dragged Loyn’s unconscious form inside, took his keys and relocked it. It wouldn’t stop him shouting for help, but with any luck, it would delay things enough to give her enough time to find Sorousi.

Zelda crept through the various rooms and corridors that comprised the dungeons, listening intently and peering around corners to avoid passing by other inmates. It was slow going, and she nearly got caught by guards a few times, but finally she made it up to the main door and scooted through it. Now, she was in the castle courtyard, and she could be spotted immediately. Instead of running and hiding and possibly catching the attention of anyone there, she concentrated hard and cast a glamour spell, like Ganondorf had taught her. Holding her breath, she began to walk very casually towards the servant’s entrance to the castle, and to her utter relief, the glamour worked. People could clearly see her, but their eyes skimmed right over her. Zelda wondered what they were seeing, but put it out of her mind she entered the castle and snuck towards the back staircases. The way the castle was set up, was that the main stairs and rooms were for show, where the important people visiting used. Then, there was the second stairs, mainly for use by the people living in the castle, and then the servant stairs, hidden behind the walls. It was the second stairs Zelda was aiming for – as it was the middle of the day, she didn’t think there’d be that many people there. To make things even better, these stairs led directly to the floor of the castle in which the guest suites were populated, and assuming Alozo hadn’t put Sorousi in another room or that Loyn was incorrect in his information, Zelda was almost sick with her nerves and relief – she’d have her baby back soon.

She made it up two floors and had to hide twice – once behind a curtain and the other by ducking into an alcove as guards passed on their rotations, and then Zelda arrived on the guest suite floor. Peering cautiously around one corridor, she started pressing her ears to the doors, listening for sound inside then opening the door a crack. The suites on the first corridor where all empty, much to her dismay, and she went to round another corner only to pull back in shock at the sight of two guards standing on either side of a doorway. _Hmm_. She’d seen no fanfare, no bustling around to protect and impress a significant guest, so… she was certain Sorousi was in that room. Ordinary guests did not have private guards like that.

But how to get to her? Zelda pondered it. She was sure the guards wouldn’t let her in, glamour or no glamour, and then she wasn’t even certain it was Sorousi in there. She needed some way to check. Then it hit her. She ducked back inside one of the empty rooms and made a beeline to the balcony, opening the tall doors and slipping onto the marble structure that overlooked the gardens. If she could somehow get to the next balcony, she could continue climbing until she was at Sorousi’s room. _Hopefully_. She gripped the railing and looked down, swallowing hard – four stories was a long way down if she was to fall.

But she had to try. Zelda climbed up onto the railing, holding on for dear life to the window shutters, then took a deep breath, and jumped. She flung out her arms, calling her magic to catch her in mid air, extending her leap and depositing her in the centre of the next balcony. The impact jarred her ankles hard, and Zelda curled into a ball to momentarily panic over what she’d just done – but then relief took over. She’d done it, which meant she could do it again. Her glamour was still in place, so all she had to so was focus on getting to Sorousi’s balcony, which was now only four balconies away. She didn’t let herself stop to imagine what she’d do if she got there and Sorousi wasn’t there. Noise erupted in the distance, but Zelda didn’t let herself get distracted by it – her child was too important. Nevertheless, she took in the sounds and half registered that it sounded like a fight, but she put it out of her mind.

The jump to the next balcony was easier, for she knew what to expect and how to land better so she didn’t hurt her ankles, and she was up and quickly moving for the next one. Despite her glamour, there was always the risk of being spotted by someone trained in the magical arts – Alozo sprang instantly to mind – and so she needed to get inside fast.

She reached Sorousi’s balcony and froze, taking a long moment to calm her breath and rapidly beating heart – it was terrifying leaping into open air like that. Zelda knelt down and peered through the keyhole of the door – the room was pitch black, and she stared, confused. Surely… surely if her baby was in there, they wouldn’t have left her in the dark?

The door was locked, but her magic took care of that. Zelda gritted her teeth as she opened it slowly and quietly as possible, then slipped inside. She stood inside the darkened chamber for a few long moments, waiting for her eyes to adjust, and then she started poking around, trying to determine if Sorousi was in here or not. Why would they keep a toddler in the dark? But then again… why would there be guards posted on an empty room? Zelda found a candle and lit it with a still smouldering coal from the fireplace, and held it up to scan the room. There came a slight muffled sound from the far end… her brows drew together and she crept closer, peering around pieces of furniture. There came another slight noise, and then she saw little toes peeking out from behind a chaise longue against one wall. The toes were visible for a fraction of a second before their owner tucked him out of sight, and then Zelda crept forwards. She wanted very badly to call out, but she couldn’t risk the guards overhearing. Crouching down at the end of the chaise longue, she smiled in pure relief as she saw Sorousi, but that quickly turned to a frown, for the moment the child saw the light from her candle, Sorousi threw her hands over her eyes, curling herself into a ball with a fearful noise. Her heart sank down to her toes as her baby cowered and shied away – Sorousi didn’t recognise her in the dark.

“ _Sorousi!”_ Zelda whispered, stretching out a hand to her daughter as she crouched on the ground, hands over her eyes. “Its me. It’s Mama.”

Sorousi gave a little gasp and sat upright, and then Zelda reached out and pulled her out from behind the chaise longue and into her arms. The little girl gave a shuddering sob and buried her head in her throat, little fingers clenching tightly in her hair.

“ _Mama!_ ”

Sorousi was clearly on the verge of tears; Zelda hurriedly caressed her back, rocking her gently.  
“Hush, baby. We must be quiet. We don’t want the bad men to come back.” She murmured into her daughter’s ear.

Sorousi shook her head hard and tried to stifle her sobs. She kept repeating ‘mama’ over and over, and Zelda hugged her tightly.

“It’s alright, baby.” She murmured. “We’re going home now, back to Papa.”

“Papa.” Sorousi sniffled and nodded.

“Okay, lets go.” Zelda whispered and blew out the candle, standing up and creeping over to the balcony door. She slipped out and locked it again, and then considered things. It was going to be a lot harder to jump from balcony to balcony while holding her daughter, but Zelda knew she had to get out of there before someone came in to check on Sorousi. She climbed up on the railing, holding tightly to the shutters with one hand and clutching her baby closely to her chest. Sorousi took a peek down at the drop to the ground and started to panic.

“Sorousi, hush.” Zelda bit her lip and jumped, reasoning that the sooner she got it over with, the sooner she could calm her baby. She caught herself with her magic and landed on the other balcony, then looked to Sorousi, who was staring around, wide eyed.

“Its okay, Rousi.” She murmured. “See? Everything’s fine.” She kissed the little girl quickly on the forehead, then prepared herself to leap to the next balcony. When Zelda finally reached the original balcony, she darted back inside the empty room and sank down on the floor with Sorousi in her lap. Her heart was beating like it was about to leap out of her chest and her hands were shaking, but she’d made it. She had her baby back.

Zelda went and sat in a patch of sunlight and carefully examined her daughter. “Oh, baby.” She murmured. “Your pretty hair.”

The curls had been cut off with no concern for neatness, leaving Sorousi with a ragged cap of red. She reached up a little hand and touched her newly shorn hair, her big golden eyes full of tears.

“He cut it.” She whimpered, and Zelda leaned into to kiss her forehead.

“I know, but it’ll grow back, sweetie.”

Sorousi sniffled again. “Where’s Papa?”

“He’s coming here, right now.” Standing up, Zelda went to head back to the balcony, but then she had an idea. While she could technically carry Sorousi, it would be must more convenient if she had her hands free, particularly if she needed to use her magic. She eyed the wardrobe thoughtfully, then set Sorousi down on the bed.

The little girl wouldn’t let her go, and Zelda kissed her again as she detached little fingers from her hair.

“It’s alright, pumpkin.” She hummed quietly in Sorousi’s ear. “I’m not going far.”

She was very conscious of Sorousi’s gaze locked on her form as she went to the wardrobe and opened it to dig through the garments inside. This room was clearly occupied, and she thanked her lucky stars it was owned by a woman as she pulled out several scarves. She carried them over to the bed, where Sorousi immediately stood up and tried to touch her. Zelda hugged her baby tightly, then began fastening the scarves around her body to make a sling. Soon enough, she had Sorousi tied firmly in place against her back.

“All good, baby?” She asked, and got a cheery “Yeah!”, back, so she went to the door, strengthened her glamour, and left. She crept back down the side stairs again, finding herself having to hide once more, and then she passed the archways that led towards the upper gallery. Curiosity got the better of her, and Zelda took herself in that direction. The upper gallery encompassed both the Great Hall and the Throne Room, providing a second story balcony type device so more people could watch the proceedings. The castle was fortunately rather empty, and there wasn’t anyone on the upper floors. Zelda edged closer to the edge of the gallery, enough to see over the edge but not be seen in return. There – she could see her father sitting on his throne, a small group of prominent nobles clustered around him, speaking quietly. She left just as silently, heading down the stairs, when she heard a group of rather panicked men’s voices coming closer.

“Gerudo! Gerudo! Sound the alarms! We’re under attack!” One of them yelled at the top of his lungs as he tore past the guards stationed by a nearby door, and Zelda tucked herself firmly into the corner so she wouldn’t be seen even as her heart leapt into her mouth. Gerudo? Did that mean – was Ganondorf here?

At that moment, and idea slammed into her mind. A wonderful, crazy, mad idea. Her hands shook, but she peered carefully around the corner, then ran forwards before she could convince herself she was being stupid. She just had to make doubly certain Ganondorf was here before she did anything _really_ foolish. Her glamour still firmly in place, she only worked to strengthen it as she ran, Sorousi providing a comforting weight against her back. Zelda followed her ears, tracing the sounds of the fight (she now realised the battle she’d heard earlier would most probably be the Gerudo arriving, if indeed that guard was right and the Gerudo were here) through the corridors, heading towards the courtyard. The way the castle had been built was that it curved around the courtyard in a half-moon shape with the large entry doors built at the centre of this semi-circle; the remainder of the crescent was lined with a large balcony that stretched all the way around, and it was at this part of the castle Zelda arrived at, bracing her hands on the stone railing as she took in the sight with wide, horrified eyes; waves of Hylian soldiers were attacking a group of roughly thirty Gerudo with brutal force. She could see several bodies lying lifelessly on the ground, of both Hylian and Gerudo origin, and then she let herself focus on Ganondorf as he prowled sideways, locked in a deadly circle with Alozo, whose Sheikah magic made his hands glow green.

Ganondorf had wisps of black shadow curling from his form, and Zelda realised that if she moved herself to the left, there was a chance he’d see her, if he happened to take his eyes off Alozo. She positioned herself correctly, hoping against hope he’d see her; she didn’t wish to interact with him, not when he was facing off with the Sheikah, but she wanted to reassure him that she and Sorousi were both alive. Her idea worked; her movement caught his gaze, and she saw his head lift towards her – their eyes locked for a fraction of a second, before a brutal smile turned his lips and he advanced upon Alozo. Zelda sighed in relief – now he’d seen her, she’d let him know he didn’t have to worry about her safety quite so much – he could focus on the Sheikah.

Zelda made sure Sorousi was still firmly attached and she sighed, setting off down another corridor, resolving to take her mind off her child just now… she had other things to worry about.

She was headed back towards the centre of the castle, turning her vague plan over and over in her mind; she wasn’t at all sure this was a smart thing to do. Zelda turned a corner then and froze, utterly horrified, as her father, a group of perhaps twenty nobles and just as many guards did the same.

 _Oh Goddesses._ Zelda bit her lip doubtfully, feeling like she was going to be sick. What was she going to do now? Her idea from before came back into her head, but now that she was here, she was suddenly not even remotely sure she could pull it off.

Harkinian’s eyes all but fell out of his head when he saw her, glaring at her as a collective gasp from the attending nobles reached her ears. Zelda forced herself to smile casually, suddenly regretting this move entirely.

“What are you doing here?” Harkinian demanded, and she smiled pleasantly.

“Hello to you too, Papa.”

She began walking forwards, taking careful note of the positioning of the guards inside the fortunately wide corridor, and stopped in the centre.

“Princess?”

Recognising some of the nobles who’d attended court when she’d lived in Hyrule, Zelda smiled at them.

“Hello.”

“You’re _dead_.” That was Lord Korvun.

Zelda grinned at him. “I would be if my father had his way.”

There were more gasps at that.

“What are you _doing?”_ Harkinian’s voice was cold, and Zelda very abruptly realised she had no idea what she was going to do or say. She’d acted on the spur of the moment, and that was foolish of her.

“Hiding from the Gerudo, are we?” She inquired just as coldly.

Harkinian slowly raised a brow. “Is that any business of yours?”

Zelda resisted the urge to press her hands to her belly, where she felt sick. This attention, this scenario – it was so unnerving, like being back her shouted at for nothing all over again. She swallowed hard.

“I should think so.” She said quietly. “After all, they’re here on my account.”

“You think so?” Her father sounded sceptical, and Zelda couldn’t help her laugh.

“Of course!” She put a hand to Sorousi’s where it rested on her shoulder. “You took the King’s child. Gerudo are very protective of their daughters, you know. He’ll gladly rip you all limb from limb if he even suspects you’ve harmed her… and as it stands, I rather think he will anyway.”

The nobles began to look uneasy at that. “ _All_ of us?” Someone called, and Zelda nodded.

“ _All_ of you. He’s the Demon King – he doesn’t like Hylians, surely you all know that. All he needs is an excuse.”

Her confidence was growing now, and more so when one of the lords turned to their king.

“Perhaps you ought to let them go, your Majesty.”

Harkinian was still glaring, but then a particularly pleased smirk moved over his lips. “Absolutely not. You see, the Demon King’s presence is _exactly_ what I want.”

Zelda frowned as the nobles gasped.

“What?” Her confidence plummeted.

Harkinian’s grin widened. “You’re _bait_. You and the little half-breed. You think I don’t know he’d come running if I took the brat? I knew exactly what the Demon King would do, and now he’s here, well, his death will shortly follow.”

She shook her head. “How? You can’t kill him… Courage isn’t here.” _Well, she is, but I doubt she’ll be of much use to you._

His grin became cruel. “He will expect nothing to challenge him, maybe Courage if he’s particularly wily, but he _won’t_ expect Sheikah magic.”

Sheikah magic. _Alozo_. Of course.

“I see.” She said quietly.

“I’m glad you do. Even if Alozo is unable to kill him straight out, he is capable of banishing Dragmire’s soul from this realm, so I’d tred carefully if I were you.” Harkinian motioned at the guards as Zelda thought things over. “Guards! Arrest her. She has committed treason and will be executed.”

There were more gasps at that, but Zelda felt a rush of almost euphoric calm. She knew what she was going to do now.

The guards started forwards, and she eyed them carefully. “I’d really rather not.”

She flung out her hands, and the guards flew off their feet and crumpled against the wall. Zelda let her magic glow around her, extending her aura and holding it around her form until she glowed golden. Sorousi made a fearful noise, and Zelda murmured soothing Gerudo words as she took a few steps forwards.

“You can’t use magic! You were never taught!” Harkinian spat. “What has Dragmire _done?”_

“He taught me.” She said simply. “You bargained on his hatred of Wisdom, and while you weren’t wrong, you missed one fatal flaw. Power likes to gloat. You had already squashed me flat, and for Ganondorf? There is no challenge in killing someone who doesn’t fight back. You made me what he isn’t used to, and by doing so, let him show me how I ought to be.” She laughed quietly. “It’s quite ironic, really.”

Harkinian stabbed a finger at her. “You cannot-”

“I can.” She said quietly. “Your words today cleared things up for me, Papa. I’ve spent years wondering what I did wrong, what I did to make you hate me, but now I understand. You took everything from me just to build yourself up… so now I will take everything from you.”

Before she could convince herself this was a terrible idea, Zelda took a step forward as she summoned her bow and nocked an arrow of light. Harkinian’s eyes widened as he took a step back.

“Zelda – _don’t-”_

She fired.

There was a faint _thwack_ of impact, followed by a terrible gurgling gasp and the distinct sounds of blood splattering to the floor. Several of the noble women in the group screamed, and one fainted clean away. Harkinian seemed to slump backwards in slow motion, his body hitting the ground in an awful, loose-limbed fashion, and then the sound of his golden crown cracking against the stone seemed distorted as a hollow ringing filled her ears.

Zelda stared at her father’s corpse, taking in the sight of the arrow piercing his forehead. Her hands began to shake as she sent away her bow.

_Oh Goddesses… what have I done?_

She realised the nobles and groggy guards were all staring at her, and she turned to face them, gathering her aura around her like a security blanket. Zelda took a deep breath and advanced upon her father’s corpse, half smiling inside as the Hylians all backed away from her. She bent down and picked up her father’s crown from the growing puddle of blood, trying to ignore the warmth of it on her fingers. She stared at it for a long moment, and then, in a move born of symbolism, she placed it on her own head. The blood made the fine gold sticky, and she could feel a trail of it dripping down her temple, but she raised her chin and stared the Hylians down.

“You will all kneel before your Queen.” She said the words as stately as possible, trying to seem menacing – it seemed her golden aura was working, for they all looked petrified as they fell to their knees.

“The Demon King is working his way through the castle.” She said curtly. “I suggest you hide if you wish to keep your heads attached to your shoulders.”

The nobles and guards immediately scrambled to their feet and fled, and Zelda bit her lip. What did you do when you’d just killed your father and effectively taken over the throne? _Oh, Goddesses. I just killed my father. My own father. I’m a murderer._ She tried to put the thought out of her mind as she gazed quietly down at the corpse in its pool of blood, trying to figure out what she’d do next. She nudged the corpse with her foot; he was dead. Her father was dead. He could never hurt her or Sorousi again. Relief flooded her form as Sorousi started talking.

“Mama!” She wailed. “What’s that?”  She meant the aura, Zelda realised, and she undid the sling and pulled the little girl into her arms as she lowered her aura.

“It’s okay, baby.” She murmured in her ear. “It’s just magic.”

“Mama.” Sorousi mumbled into her throat, and Zelda turned and started back towards the courtyard – if Harkinian was dead by her hand, that meant she was Queen. She had to inform Ganondorf. She hurried along the corridor, pinning a few more Hylian soldiers up against the wall as she went, and soon ended up on the balcony again. Sorousi let out a delighted squeal when she saw her father, but that soon turned to fear as a tremendous explosion rocked the courtyard. Zelda took in the scene as rapidly as she could – the fighting amongst the Gerudo and the Hylians had all but subsided as they huddled against the wall, avoiding the errant blasts of magic caused by Ganondorf’s duel with the Sheikah man.

Ganondorf concentrated hard, his gaze locked on Alozo as the Sheikah glowed with his magic, evidently preparing something. Then, the man stepped backward, then took another, and another. Ganondorf scowled and went to follow, but before he’d cleared three steps, he felt something catch at his magic and latch on. Looking down, he realised Alozo had placed a sigil there, and by walking backwards, had lured him straight into it. He cursed savagely as the sigil lit up, curling out from his feet to encompass a circle maybe five feet across – but then that emotion turned to a cruel delight as he realised just _which_ sigil had been used.

Alozo crowed in exultation then. “You see!” He yelled. “Your magic is no match for that which deals in the shadows.”

“Indeed.” Ganondorf deadpanned. He sent out tendrils of magic, seeking the edges of the sigil.

“That won’t work.” The Shiekah said with a crazed smile. “It’s impenetrable. Now, I shall fetch my king, so he may witness the death of _yours_.” He’d addressed this to the Gerudo watching, and Ganondorf rolled his eyes.

This very sigil was the same as a former guardian of a former Zelda had once laid on him – _Impa_ , he recalled. Impa had been her name, and a formidable warrior she had been. She too, had informed him of the supposedly impenetrability of the sigil, having cast it at that Zelda’s request. Ganondorf had spent over a year trapped within the confines of the blasted thing, buried deep below in the castle dungeons – unable to kill him without the master sword, Princess Zelda had been reduced to trapping him permanently – or so she had thought. A year was a long time to think, and Ganondorf had spent most of it in a kind of mediative trance, exploring the bounds and reaches of his magic far more absolutely than he ever had before. A year of his life had passed by the time he learned to meld his magic with that of the sigil and shatter it, but once he was free it hadn’t taken that long to find the princess and teach her the dangers of trapping a beast.

Ganondorf was quiet for a moment, thinking of that Zelda’s blood on his hands – it was strange to think that her reincarnation was his wife now – but he had other things to worry about as a clear voice rang out.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

He, the Gerudo, and Alozo turned to stare as Zelda gently floated down from the balcony she’d just leapt from, her form glowing softly golden as she checked her fall. She landed lightly and her aura winked out, and then she tugged at some fabric wrapped around her form and then Sorousi was scrambling from the sling and into her mother’s arms. Ganondorf’s gaze lazered sharply over his daughter – he knew they were both alive, for he’d seen them a little while ago, but had Rousi been hurt?

“You see-” Zelda continued. “-the King is dead.” She very slowly raised a bloodied hand to her brow, and Ganondorf focused on this, his brows snapping sharply together as he recognised Harkinian’s crown – and the blood dripping down her temple. Zelda smiled a rather unsteady smile then. “Long live the Queen.”

“No.” Alozo shook his head, blank horror and disbelief written on his features. “You _couldn’t_ have.”

Ganondorf put more effort into shattering the sigil – he needed to be out of this blasted thing _now_.

“Yes.” Zelda said, that unsettling smile still in place. “He’s dead. I _killed_ him. His corpse lies in the corridor off the west second reception room.”

Alozo warped away then, and Ganondorf gritted his teeth, concentrating hard on breaking the seal – he was nearly there, and Zelda was headed towards him, a concerned look on her face, and then-

An explosion rocked the courtyard as Alozo warped back in and caused the ground where Zelda stood to explode – Ganondorf heard her scream and swore harshly as the smoke cleared and revealed her blown off her feet and huddled on the ground – but she was still alive, both her and Sorousi wrapped in a protective layer of gold – she was shielding. Alozo screamed savagely then, drawing everyone’s attention.

“You _bitch_!” He screamed. “You killed him! I’ll kill you!” His voice dropped to a menacing growl. “ _I’ll kill you.”_

Ganondorf broke the sigil just as Alozo threw himself forwards, and he managed to throw up his own shields around Zelda, giving her another layer of protection as he lunged towards the Sheikah, who looked utterly outraged.

“ _How_ _did you break the sigil?”_ He howled, eyes popping.

“Quite easily.” Said Ganondorf lazily, discretely circling around so he was positioned in front of Zelda. “I think you underestimate me, _Sheikah dog_.”

Alozo’s eyes widened, and his face mottled in rage. “It might not be today-” He hissed. “-but I _will_ avenge my King.”

Ganondorf hurled a bolt of magic at him, but the Sheikah warped away before it hit, and vanished entirely. He waited, poised and ready for any renewed attacks, but… nothing. After a few minutes passed, he relaxed slightly, turning towards Zelda, who was watching him with wide eyes as she held Sorousi tightly.

He swiftly went to her side, dropping his shield and pulling her into him as she dropped hers.

“Rousi.” He murmured, hauling his daughter into his arms as she hugged him tightly.

“Papa! Papa!” She cried, burying her little face in his chest. Ganondorf held her tightly as he turned to his wife.

“Zelda.” He murmured. “Are you hurt?” He raised a hand to her brow, touching the blood there. “You’re bleeding-”

She shook her head quickly, latching tightly onto his hand. “It’s not my blood. It’s my father’s.”

“Harkinian.” He said slowly, touching the gold crown she wore. “He’s really dead?”

“Yes.” Zelda looked rather disbelieving and shocked as she said that. “I shot him. I just – just _shot_ him. With my light arrows. Oh Goddesses-”

Ganondorf tucked her into his side, supporting her slightly as her knees buckled, but she seemed to pull herself together as he tugged her along, heading towards a blood soaked Jaroobi, who was busy staunching the flow of blood from a wound in one of their sisters sides.

“Come, we must establish control before the Hylians do.” He growled, and Jaroobi called over another woman to take over her job before she stood up.

“It’d be much easier if we had more of us.” She said anxiously, staring around.

Ganondorf nodded. “We’ll just have to make do. Take anyone who’s not injured and find all the leaders – lieutenants, generals, anyone. Round them up and bring them to the Great Hall.”

He gripped Zelda’s waist a little tighter and warped them all from the courtyard to a random guest suite, where he deposited Zelda and Sorousi on the bed.

Ganondorf glared around the room, checking for any entrances he might have missed, and then began to enchant the room. He’d acquired many, many defensive and protective spells over the hundreds of years he’d lived, and put his best ones into use now, locking all the doors and windows and making sure there was no way even magic could penetrate the room. Even Sheikah magic. _Especially_ Sheikah magic.

Finally satisfied that the room was as secure as it was going to get, Ganondorf turned and walked back over to the bed to cup Zelda’s cheek with his hand. Her face was drawn and pale, with dark shadows under her eyes. Sorousi on the other hand was beaming – the little girl was obviously ecstatic to be back with her parents. She was sitting close to Zelda and playing with her hair. He sat on the edge of the bed, motioning his daughter over, while Zelda retreated back into her thoughts. Sorousi got up and wobbled over the bed, falling into his arms with a happy giggle.

“ _Malazi, yi_.” He murmured. “I’m glad to see you safe.”

Ganondorf examined her carefully for injuries – she appeared to be unharmed, aside from the obvious – her hair. What had previously been long scarlet curls hanging to her shoulders was now a messily shorn cap as short as a Hylian man’s. He cursed under his breath and brushed his fingers over her head.

“Who cut your hair, Rousi?” He asked, and Sorousi’s lips turned down.

“Bad man.” She said, pouting as she rubbed her new short hair. “Bad bad bad.”

 “ _Very_ bad.” Ganondorf agreed. “What did he look like?”

“Ummm…” She considered this question hard. “Hair like Mama’s.”

So he was blond. Not exactly helpful.

“What else, Rousi?” He prompted.

She thought for a while. “Bad man.” She said finally.

Ganondorf sighed, then had a thought. “Did he wear a crown?”

“No.”

So that meant Harkinian had most likely had one of his cronies cut her hair. Figures.

“How did Mama find you?” He asked softly, and she looked upset.

“It was dark, and bad men came in. I saw Mama and then away again.” Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she gestured, and he frowned.

“They took you to Mama?”

“Yeah and then away!” The tears began to overflow then, and Sorousi sniffled hard. “But then Mama came back. It was dark and then Mama was there and then we jumped!”

Ganondorf made a face in confusion. _“Jumped?”_

Sorousi nodded and pointed to the windows. “Jump!”

_Was she saying Zelda had leaped out a window with her?_

“And then what?”

“In a room! And the other bad man talked! And Mama was shiny!”

 _What?_ “Shiny?” He asked. “What do you mean, she was shiny?”

“Bad man in crown!” Sorousi nodded. “And Mama was, um, yellow and shiny, and then bad man fell down.”

He was going to have to ask Zelda to get the full story. Sorousi wasn’t making a lot of sense. Ganondorf wiped her face clean of tears, then grinned at his daughter.

“I brought something for you.”

Her face lit up and she held out her hands as he pulled her ragdoll from his pocket and gave it to her. Sorousi hugged it tightly, and then him.

“Thankie, Papa.” She cooed, then started playing with the doll. Ganondorf put her on the bed besides Zelda and pulled her into his arms.

“You look exhausted.” He murmured, and she shuddered.

“I shot him.” She whispered. “I killed my own father.” Shock was clear in her tone, and while Ganondorf didn’t see anything wrong with what she’d done, he knew she’d need time to come to terms with it. Therefore, he comforted her for a little while and then put her to bed, insisting that she rest. Then, he scooped up Sorousi and warped back down to the Throne Room.

Ganondorf well understood the panic Zelda had expressed – that she didn’t know exactly how she was to go about taking over as ruler of the kingdom. Luckily for them both, he knew exactly how to do it. He knew he was confusing the Hylians by conducting business with Sorousi on his lap or in his arms, but he really couldn’t care less what they thought of him at that moment. He spent hours deep in discussion with not only nobles, but with key members of the Hylian military and Harkinian’s former advisors as well.

He informed them that yes, Zelda was Queen and he was King, and _did anyone have a problem with that?_ Funnily enough, no one did. At least, they weren’t stupid enough to say that to his face. He reorganised guard placements and soldier deployments, stopped Sorousi falling off the table at least three times, picked a date for his and Zelda’s coronation and sent people out to announce it. Ganondorf had his sisters busy with making patrols and glowering at anyone they suspected of troublemaking, and had messenger hawks dispatched not only to the desert, but also to the Gerudo who were still riding towards the castle as well as to the major towns of the different provinces to make the announcement of the kingdom’s new rulers.

By the time he finished with his meetings, it was only because Sorousi was small and needed dinner and sleep that he cut them off early, returning to the room he’d left Zelda in to find her awake yet still looking tired. He estimated she’d slept for five hours – she really needed more by the looks of it.

“Mama!” Sorousi started squirming to be put down, so Ganondorf set her on her feet and she ran over to Zelda, who scooped her up and kissed her cheek before setting her on the bed. He pulled his wife into his arms, holding her tightly.

“How do you feel?” He murmured, and she laughed lightly.

“Very tired, but less likely to keel over.”

He pulled back and cradled her face in his hands and then leaned down to kiss her, her lips soft against his for a long moment. Ganondorf picked her up and deposited her in bed with Sorousi again, then began stripping out of his armour.

“Tell me everything that happened.” He growled, and Zelda looked down, pulling Sorousi into her lap as she did so.

“The portal took me to the dungeons.” She said quietly. “I was locked in a guarded cell, but my guards told me that my father would come down to see me. He and Alozo both came down, and my father told me that the next day, both Sorousi and I would be executed.” She took a deep breath. “I asked him if I could see Rousi again, for one last time, and he agreed. I think it was so he could he could enjoy taking her away from me again. Alozo brought her, but they wouldn’t let her come into my cell – I had to hold her through the bars.” Zelda paused then, hugging their daughter tightly, and Ganondorf was swearing inside his head as he unbuckled his chest plate.

“What then?”

“Alozo dragged Rousi away from me.” She blinked hard. “Poor little baby – he really scared her. She was screaming.”

He did curse at that. “How did you get to her?”

Zelda grinned then. “Once my father had left, I pretended I wanted more water, and when my guard was close enough I knocked him out with the jug. It was simple enough to unlock my cell; I’m very thankful you taught me how to do that.”

He nodded. “Me too. And then?”

“I used that glamour enchantment you taught me and snuck through the castle. I’d been talking to my guard, and I managed to get him to talk about the little Gerudo girl my father was keeping. He let slip that she was being kept in the guest suites on the fourth floor.”

He frowned. “I asked Rousi – she said it was dark and you jumped out a window – did that happen?”

Zelda smiled. “We didn’t jump out a window, no. But as for being dark… she’s right. There was no light in the room at all. When I got in there, it was pitch black and she was hiding behind a chaise longue. I think she thought whoever I was would have hurt her.”

“Despicable cretins.” He spat. “Who keeps a child in those conditions? But what did she mean by _jumping?”_

Zelda bit her lip. “I… figured out which room she was in because there were guards outside the door. I didn’t want to alert them in case one of them got away, nor did I think my glamour would get me past them… so I went into another guest suite, and jumped off the balcony to the next one.”

Ganondorf goggled at her, then immediately went to the balcony to see the distance for himself. “You jumped _that?”_

She smiled. “I did. I used my magic to push me higher, and I made it. I was five balconies down from Sorousi, but I made it.”

“And then?!”

“I got her, and jumped all the way back while holding her. It was terrifying.”

By this time, he was wearing nothing but trousers, so Ganondorf climbed onto the bed, making a face as it groaned from his weight, and then pulled both Zelda and Sorousi into his lap. Zelda sighed and leaned her head against his chest, and he tickled Sorousi for a moment, making her laugh.

“But how did you get from there to killing Harkinian?”

Zelda looked a little sheepish. “I didn’t exactly mean to. My plan was to get out of the castle and steal a horse or something, but I heard the soldiers rushing to tell my father I’d escaped, and something just came over me. I went and confronted him.” She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I _confronted_ him! In front of guards and nobles and everyone. I still can’t believe it.”

“What did you both say?”

“Well… in the dungeons, he basically said that the reason he had treated me like he did, was because he didn’t want to be overshadowed by Wisdom.” Zelda gave a short, bitter laugh. “Imagine that. He made my life a misery because he is _such_ a narcissist he couldn’t handle the faintest possibility of people looking up to me and not him.”

“Fool.” Ganondorf murmured, and Zelda nodded.

“Yes, I agree. Anyway, I demanded he provide transport back to the desert – I’d gone in there on the spur of the moment and I had no idea what else to say – and he refused, because it was his intention all along to use Rousi and I as bait, so that Alozo could trap you.”

Ganondorf scoffed. “As if a mere Sheikah could trap _me_. But what happened next?”

“He demanded the guards arrest me…” Zelda looked down. “And then I rather lost my head. I – used my magic and slammed them all into the walls.”

He let out a startled laugh. “Really?”

“Yes. And then I called my aura forth. I was trying to make myself look scary so they wouldn’t attack me.”

Things suddenly became crystal clear to him. “Ah, then that’s what Rousi meant when she said you were shiny and yellow.”  
  
Zelda chuckled at that. “Shiny and yellow? You funny little bunny.” She tickled Sorousi, who giggled hysterically.  “But yes. I called my aura, and then I – I just shot him. With my light arrows.” She took a deep breath. “He hit the ground and I realised what I’d done.” Her brow furrowed then. “I – I didn’t know quite what to do, so I just – I just turned around and declared myself Queen.”

“Very brave.” He murmured into her hair, and Zelda smiled, but that quickly faded.

“But what about Alozo? Have you seen him?”

“I haven’t.” He said shortly. “Nor have I come across anything resembling a trap, and I assure you, I’ve been constantly on my guard.”

“I don’t want to hide under shields forever.”

“You won’t have to.” He assured her, running his fingers through her hair. “I promise you that.”

“But what are you going to do?”

Ganondorf frowned into the distance. “He’ll reveal himself eventually. I’ll get him then.” He said darkly.

Zelda nodded and relaxed further into his chest, her eyes drifting shut.

“You should get more rest.” He said softly. “Do you want anything to eat before you do?”

“Only if you’re going to get something.” She murmured.

“Alright, you stay here with Rousi. I’ll be back shortly.”

Zelda watched as Ganondorf warped away, and then she lay down in bed, moving Sorousi up beside her and tucking the covers around them both.

“Mama?” Asked the little girl after a moment.

“Mmmm?” Zelda replied, brushing her fingers over her daughters nose.

“Will the bad men come back?” Sorousi asked anxiously, and Zelda pulled her closer.

“Papa won’t let them, my darling.” She murmured into her ear. “I promise.”

Sorousi was quiet for a moment, and then tears welled up in her eyes. “He won’t hurt me?”

Zelda sat up then. “ _Hurt_ you? Pumpkin, did they hurt you?”

The little girl nodded and rubbed her eyes. “Zap!” She said, touching Zelda’s arm over and over. “Zap zap! It hurt!”

“By Nayru.” She whispered, gathering her daughter closer. “Was it magic, dearheart? Was he _shocking_ you?”

Sorousi nodded and sniffled hard. “He wouldn’t let me sit down.” She sobbed. “He made me stand or _zap!”_

“Oh my Gods.” Zelda pulled the toddler into her embrace, tears in her own eyes as Sorousi started to cry in earnest. “You’re okay, darling. He won’t touch you again, I promise.”

Ganondorf warped back into the room a few minutes later, bearing a large tray of covered food. He frowned when he saw they were both crying.

“Zelda? What’s-”

“Rousi just told me something.” Zelda gasped out, rocking her baby as comfortingly as possible as she cried.

Ganondorf’s face darkened as he walked towards her. “What?”

“Alozo – he tortured her.”  
  
His face went blank, and she knew he was too angry to show emotion.

**_“WHAT?”_ **

She nodded. “From what she’s said – she wasn’t allowed to sit down. Alozo made her stand, and he’d hurt her if she tried to sit.”

Ganondorf dropped to his knees in front of them, reaching out to touch Sorousi. “Rousi.” He said, voice still unnervingly blank. “How long did you have to stand for?”

Sorousi sobbed into Zelda’s collarbone. “Til I fall down.” She got out at last, and Zelda hugged her closer, meeting Ganondorf’s furious gaze.

Ganondorf cursed savagely under his breath, and Zelda reached out to slip her fingers into his.

“When I find him…” Ganondorf’s voice shook with fury, and she nodded.

“I know. Bring that food over here, would you? Rousi needs some dinner and bedtime.”

He nodded, fetching the tray and settling it on the bed. Zelda carefully detached her little girl from her neck and set her down in between them both as Ganondorf pulled the covers off the tray.

“Are you hungry, sweetie?” Zelda asked, reaching out to grab a small plate. “What do you want?”

Sorousi got slightly distracted from her tears as she looked at the tray. “Ummmm…” She pointed at the chicken, and Ganondorf began cutting it into small bits for her.

  
Zelda loaded up her own plate with some slivers of beef, feeling unable to eat a whole meal, and nibbled at her food while Ganondorf tucked in to his meal and Sorousi munched happily on some chicken. Finally, after the rather messy toddler had been tidied up along with the remnants of their meal, it was time for bed.

Ganondorf had disappeared for a while and came back with a bassinet he’d acquired from Goddesses knew where, in which Sorousi was currently curled up, right on the verge of sleep.

Zelda smiled at her husband as she sat in bed waiting for him – he was checking the enchantments around the room, testing to see if any of the shields had been tampered with.

“Nothing seems to be amiss.” He said quietly, moving over to touch Sorousi gently as she slept, and then he got into bed. Zelda immediately moved towards him, and Ganondorf pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” She mumbled into his throat. “I’ve had no idea what to do with myself-”

“But you’re fine.” He said soothingly. “Rousi’s fine too. You did well.”

That cheered her up somewhat. “But the courts-” She continued. “-Who knows what they think-”

“They know that you are Queen now.” He interrupted, a scowl on his face. “And that I am King.” There was a definite gleeful note to his voice now. “And any dissention will be cured by a few well-placed death threats.”

Zelda peeked up at him with a frown. “Indeed? Threatening my subjects, hmm?”

Ganondorf chuckled. “If they give me reason for it, then certainly.” His grin got bigger, revealing his fangs, and she frowned harder. Sometimes he made her forget his reputation… and then he did something to remind her.

“I was dreadfully scared.” She admitted quietly. “I didn’t know if Rousi was okay.”

“Sorousi’s fine, Zelda.” Ganondorf said. “But I want you both to stay where I tell you for the next little while.” He growled darkly. “Until I’ve killed the Sheikah scum.”

“You won’t find me protesting.” She whispered, and then her tiredness overcame her, and she yawned deeply.

“Sleep now.” Ganondorf murmured. “We can talk things over properly in the morning.”

“Okay.” Zelda nodded and closed her eyes – after almost a week alone and terrified, Ganondorf’s presence was extremely soothing. She fell asleep wrapped tightly in his arms, and for a moment, she let herself believe everything would be all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well its been ages since I last updated but! I finally!! finished!!! 
> 
> now all Zelda has to worry about is Alozo, and to be fair, she has every right to be worried, considering what he has planned~


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A coronation to remember

The morning of Zelda’s coronation dawned bright and golden, as though nature itself was conspiring to make the day as perfect as it was able. She had woken early and smiled to herself, nestled as she was in her husband’s warm embrace. Ganondorf was still fast asleep, his wild waves of scarlet hair splayed across both their pillows, and Zelda had extracted herself gently to check on Sorousi, whose cot had been placed in their room.

The feeling of peace, safety and contentment, however, was a mere illusion against the threat of the Sheikah who had threatened to kill her – Zelda’s soft smile faded as Alozo’s threat echoed in her ears for a moment. She had wished for a quiet, private coronation, the better to prevent Alozo from possibly ruining it, but Ganondorf had demanded pomp and ceremony, and had splashed out plenty of rupees to fund what was possibly the most extravagant coronation in recent memory. When she had asked, he had looked a little grave and gruffly told her not to worry, that he had it all under control, and when circumstances worked out as he was hoping they would, he would explain it all to her. This reassured her – Zelda trusted him implicitly, and as he had given his word to explain her, she didn’t worry about the secrecy, for it would all be revealed at some point.

She left the sleeping area and went into her dressing room, where she rang the bell. When the maids entered, they shimmered in the doorway, a sign that Ganondorf’s wards and protective enchantments had found them lacking in evil intention, and therefore, they were permitted to enter, whereupon Zelda spent several hours relaxing under their administrations, counting down the time until she would dress for her coronation. Owing to Ganondorf’s demands of grandeur, her coronation gown was a marvel to behold.

Skilfully cut from the most expensive gold Labrynnian silk money could buy, the gown shimmered even when still, and to enhance the overall effect, the Hylian Royal crest had been intricately embroidered on the front panel of the full skirt from real gold, hammered and shaped into paper thin threads. The sleeves fell from her shoulders to reveal smooth skin, and at her throat she wore the necklace she’d received at her coronation as Queen of the Gerudo. Her hair was curled and piled softly atop her head, threaded through with strands of pearls and shimmering gold roundels, and a deep crimson cloak completed her toilette.

Ganondorf came through to her dressing room not long after – he was dressed himself, in magnificent Gerudo robes – a far cry from the Hylian styled robes he’d worn at their wedding.  

“Zelda.” He greeted her with a smile, jiggling a happy Sorousi in his arms. “You look beautiful.”

She beamed as she moved forwards to greet both husband and child.

“Thank you. You look marvellous yourself, and you look very well too, my darling.”

Sorousi was dressed in Gerudo wear too – instead of the formal and restrictive petticoats of a noble Hylian child, her silks were elegant and very suited to the occasion, but roomy enough for her comfort.

“Mama!” Sorousi reached for Zelda’s hair, and she was obliged to scoot backwards out of her daughter’s grip to avoid ruining her intricately styled hair.

“Wait till later, Rousi.” Ganondorf soothed the child and then held out his arm. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

 

* * *

 

Trumpets blared and drums echoed as the sounds of their coronation echoed all the way down to Castle Town, and Zelda’s mouth hurt from smiling. All the day she had been feeling the most peculiar emotion – something deep and ancient was unfurling in her stomach, something that only grew as she knelt on the embroidered cushion as the priest declared her Queen of Hyrule, and she rose to take the proffered sceptre, and turned to face her people. This was her birthright – she was queen, and Hylia’s spirit rose inside her, assuring her of the rightness of this – she had been born to be queen, and Zelda would do her role justice.

She lifted her chin as the trumpets rose in a triumphant arc, Ganondorf joining her by her side as the occupants stood, hands on their hearts as they chanted.

“Goddesses save the Queen! Goddesses save the King! Goddesses save the Queen!-”

Zelda tuned out slightly as she became conscious of an emergent figure standing partially concealed by the nearby marble column, and then she recognised him. A gasp escaped her throat as Alozo stepped forward, his features twisted by a snarl, hands glowing with magic as he hurled a deadly bolt towards her –

Zelda dropped the sceptre without even thinking about it, the golden glow of her shield encompassing both herself and Ganondorf as the Sheikah magic hit, causing a violent explosion. Zelda gritted her teeth at the strain of keeping her shield up, but she managed it as Ganondorf swore loudly and vanished into smoke.

“You will not live to be Queen.” Alozo promised, sickly tendrils of green floating about him.

Zelda lifted her chin as she spoke. “Your threats will not prevent me.” She said calmly, one eye on the now crying Sorousi, held by a hastily summoned nursemaid. “I am Zelda, Queen of Hyrule. My father sought to preclude my reign, as do you – I urge you to give it up now. This is my divine right. You will _not_ prevent me.”

Alozo shook his head. “ _Murderess_.” He hissed. “Your people will never accept you – a Queen whose crown drips with blood, who murdered her father in cold-”

His words were choked off as Ganondorf appeared in a swirl of magic behind him, one massive hand choking off the Sheikah’s air. Zelda wondered at it, before coming to the conclusion that Alozo must have let his guard down due to his fury – and he would pay the price. She was turning her head to summon the guards when Ganondorf spoke.

“And you would murder your Queen, you filthy cretin? You would _harm_ a _child?_ You-”

“Ganondorf.” Zelda interjected clearly. “Place him in the care of the guards. He will be put on trial and judged before-”

“Oh, he’ll be _judged_ all right.” Ganondorf promised darkly, and before anyone could react, he smashed the struggling Sheikah’s head into the marble column.

Zelda saw it as though in slow motion – Alozo’s head shattered as though it were a rotten pumpkin, shards of bone exploded across the floor to gleam wetly under the golden light of the chandeliers, and people’s screams mingled with the damp sounds of brain splattering across the marble floors. Ganondorf dropped the abruptly limp body with disgust mingling with fury on his face.

“Let it be known-” He roared, his voice carrying easily through the screams. “-that this will be the fate of dissenters!”

An awkward yet terrified silence fell, and Zelda, desperate to save her coronation, stepped forward to place her hand gently on Ganondorf’s arm, drawing him gently back to the two thrones commissioned for their use. Zelda sat regally back, her expression cool as the horrified gaze of the crowd watched her, as servants gathered the fallen sceptre and with a nod to the priest, the coronation resumed, the slowly spreading pool of blood a warning to them all.

 

* * *

 

“There’s one thing I don’t understand.” Zelda murmured to her husband long after the feasts had started, and her jaw ached from smiling at the many toasts offered by the nobles of the court. “How did Alozo get in? The castle was warded.”

Ganondorf sipped his wine and gave her a truly satisfied smile. “I removed the wards.” She stared at him in horror, and he elaborated. “I’m no fool, Zelda. I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. It was merely a waiting game.”

Zelda contemplated this for a moment. “Well, I can’t say I’m a fan of your love for macabre demonstrations of power.” She mused. “But Alozo is dead. He cannot harm Sorousi now, and so I suppose I must approve.”

Ganondorf grinned and held up his goblet to hail the servants for more wine. “I knew you wouldn’t, Zelda. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“And if your plan had failed?” She needled him with icy disapproval. “If he had succeeded?”

“He didn’t, so there is no use in worrying about what-ifs.” Ganondorf poured a liberal measure of wine into her cup. “Drink and be merry, Zelda. From here on in, you need only worry about serving your people.”

A deep flush of righteous satisfaction flowed through her, helped by the wine. “You’re right.” Zelda looked over at the festivities, of the hundreds of people crammed within the castle walls to celebrate the coronation. “It is time to let my reign begin.”

“My reign.” Ganondorf corrected absently, his face aglow with drink and pride as he took in his new subjects, mingled with amusement as he glanced at several Gerudo surrounded by some very drunk admirers.

Zelda reached over to take his hand beneath the table, with a loving glance to Sorousi in her high chair beside her, before she smiled out over her subjects.

“ _Our_ reign.” She said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is pretty short but idk man, at least I finally finished it 
> 
> it's certainly been a long time since this was updated, and there's two reasons for that - 1) I fell headlong into another fandom, and 2) I've dramatically reassessed my perceptions of what makes a good zelgan fic, and suddenly none of my wips seem right. that being said, I hope you all enjoyed Guileless - it has been a different style to my other fics, and part of me is sad to see it end (although that might just be because I took so long to finish it lmao)


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